Transcript Opportunities to deliver sustainable management of protected areas and special landscapes Paul Goriup Director, Fieldfare International Ecological Development plc.

Opportunities to deliver
sustainable management of
protected areas and special
landscapes
Paul Goriup
Director, Fieldfare International Ecological
Development plc
Fieldfare International
 A public, PBB company established in 1996; 25
shareholders including WWF and Doen Foundation
 Invests in small PBB enterprises in Ukraine, Bulgaria
and Romania
 Operates via a subsidiary in Odessa, JV in Bulgaria
and partner in Romania
PAs and Revenue Sources
 Certified sustainable forestry and agriculture
 Natural resource harvesting
 Gene banks
 Ecosystem service maintenance
 Carbon sequestration & offset
 Renewable energy
 Low impact tourism
Renewable
Energy
Renewable Energy Examples
 Forestry – bulk wood and chip
 Micro-hydropower
 Briquette & pellet
production
Renewable Energy: Potential Threats
 Wind farms
 Barrages
 Biofuels
Wetland Management and
Renewable Energy, Ukraine
Wetland Management and
Renewable Energy, Ukraine
Wetland Management and
Renewable Energy, Ukraine
Wetland Management and
Renewable Energy, Ukraine
Wetland Management and
Renewable Energy, Ukraine
Wetland Management and
Renewable Energy, Ukraine
Wetland Management and
Renewable Energy, Ukraine
Wetland Management and
Renewable Energy, Ukraine
Ecotourism
What is Ecological Tourism?
Environmentally responsible travel to
natural areas, in order to enjoy and
appreciate nature (and accompanying
cultural features, both past and present)
that promote conservation, have a low visitor impact
and provide for beneficially active socio-economic
involvement of local peoples.
What is Ecological Tourism?
 Conscientious, low-impact visitor behaviour
 Sensitivity towards, and appreciation of, local
cultures and biodiversity
 Support for local conservation efforts
 Sustainable benefits to local communities
 Local participation in decision-making
 Educational components for both the traveller and
local communities
Good Practice Examples
 Low numbers, quiet (electric
powered) boat in wetlands
 Photo-hunting; watching
 Involving local people
Not Good Practice
 Uncontrolled access = erosion
 Poor waste management,
unsightly hotels
 Definitely not good
ecotourist behaviour
Certification (Quality Control)
 Protected Areas
 Accommodation
 Guides
 Tour companies
Visitor Centre Functions
 Provide a sense of
place of an area or
region
 Help protect an area
and enhance its
identity
 Provide a tourism
resource and promote
sustainability
Visitor Centre Design
 Location is crucial – access
and link to local community
 Construction must be local,
sustainable and low
maintenance
 Interpretation must be
appropriate, tell a story
and use different media
Ecotourism in Ukraine
 This is a completely new sector in the country
with very unclear legal situation.
 Most companies just take people to the
countryside for picnics, with no interpretation of
their surroundings
 Companies do not share benefits with nature and
local people
Ecotourism Challenges
 Protected Areas are not prepared for ecotours –
guides are used to school parties and have a poor
level of special knowledge
 Public have low demand for specialised tours
 No certification schemes
 General lack of infrastructure, information and
viewing facilities
FIED Ecotourism Approach
 FIED works to attract visitors as a market for
local business partners in sectors such as crafts,
angling, private accommodation, traditional cuisine,
biofuel and organic farming
 In return, our business partners help to raise
environmental awareness, protect valuable
habitats and maintain local culture
Ecotourism ~ Basic Services
 Sanitation, security, safety
 Personal attention (small groups)
 Contact with nature and local people; daily variety
of experiences
 Appropriate accommodation and food
 Honesty, reliability, integrity
Ecotourism PBB Benefits
 A private hotel owner has leased a nearby Nature
Reserve to manage it for biodiversity conservation &
ecotourism
 Donations made to improve management /
communications at three Biosphere Reserves
 Assistance for formulating local Green Tourism
policies
 Counterweight to mass tourism development
Ecotourism Business - Unpredictable
Tourist Days
800
700
500
400
300
200
Revenues
100
0
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
12,000
2009
10,000
Net Income (€)
No. days
600
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Monitoring
Outcomes
Gross Natural Product
 A pro-biodiversity business investment should be
able to demonstrate (with independent expert
verification) at a minimum no Net Ecological Loss,
and preferably a Net Ecological Benefit, and that
this is a direct product of the investment itself
over time.
 The ecological product should be audited in parallel
with the financial audit of net profit, at the cost
of the business.
Indicator-based Ecological Audit
Appropriate indicators must take account of:
 the business activities of the company;
 locality of the business and adjacent environmental
conditions;
 whether benefits will be arise from use, restoration
or set aside;
 presence of habitats or species of conservation
concern;
 Feasibility of monitoring and potential for
autonomous data collection by the company itself.
Some Potential Indicators
(from EEA SEBI)
FIED Reedbed Monitoring
Many Thanks!