The global scuba diving industry originates between $ 8.5 billion and $ 20.4 billion each year, while also provides extensive maritime conservation benefits, found in a new study.
According to the study, Friday, published on Friday, contributes to both oceans ecology and local communities, supports diving sector 124,000 jobs in 170 countries on an annual basis. Cell report stability,
“Scuba diving is very unique as it spends you underwater time,” said in a statement by Fabio Estato, co-writer of California San Diego’s Scripps of Oceanography, co-writer of the researcher.
“You can sail or surf above a dead ocean, but not notice scuba divers if there is no fish,” said ErTeto, which also runs the Atlas Aquatic Project, which is part of the United Nations-based maritime biology initiative.
A lot of diving function, he explained, depends on the health of the ocean – a pure “promotes positive for protection because it makes divers a partner.”
Of earlier studiesIt is suggested that better protection may dive IncomeThe authors said by attracting those who are ready to pay high prices for experience. Some of the same research, they have also shown that around 70 percent of all divers in marinely protected areas – divers one will for preference.
While a widely recognized contributor in the Ocean-based tourism economy, authors stated that the specific role of scuba diving globally has been a mystery.
Co-writer Octavio Aburto-Oropeza, a maritime biologist in scrips, Was focused earlierFully on Mexico, in 2021, finding that the dive industry there produced $ 725 million annually for the country’s economy – almost as the area of fishing.
In the new study, researchers expanded their access to the whole world, compiled a list of over 11,500 dive operators in 170 countries and used data from Google Maps and Professional Association of Diving trainers. After accepting his data with local sources, he conducted an online survey of 425 businesses in 81 countries.
The authors then used survey responses to calculate the funds spent on diving activities, as well as the world’s estimated 9 million to 14 million annual recreational divers spent on hotels, food and transportation. He then used statistical modeling to extract data to measure an estimated global effect.
Finally, the analysis concluded that the total expenditure amount is between $ 8.5 billion and $ 20.4 billion, with direct diving between $ 900 million and $ 3.2 billion.
Regarding the workforce, researchers noticed that 80 percent of employees were local or national residents.
Meanwhile, dive operators cited deep concerns about the decline of ecosystems from other industries in the last decade as per the study. Reported changes were related to biodiversity, abundance of species, coral bleaching, pollution and water quality.
“We show that diving produces a lot of income, and it does so without degrading the environment such as fishing or mining,” said Aburo-Oropza.
“We hope that showing the scale of economic impact from this activity will encourage policies investing in diving by increasing marine security,” he said.
Aburto-oropeza and his colleagues “deployed dive tourism as a model for a model”Blue economy” – An internationally recognized concept that shows how coastal communities can flourish while protecting their resources.
“Unlike large -scale tourism functions, which can damage local communities and maritime environment, dive tourism, when well managed, can be economically viable, socially justified and environmentally durable.”
“Diabing operators are natural partners in conservation efforts,” with a healthy ecosystem and abundant selfish interest in marine life, “said Shohbair.
