THE VALUE AND SUSTAINABILITY OF DIRECT USE GOODS AND SERVICES PROVIDED BY MARINE BIODIVERSITY AROUND THE ISLES OF SCILLY ARCHIPELAGO

Marine biodiversity is of significant importance to humans providing a vital life support system as well as important cultural and economic resources. This project investigated the economic value that direct use goods and services (leisure and recreation, food provision and raw materials) from marine biodiversity have around the Isles of Scilly, U.K. Data were collected on commercial monetary values of leisure and tourism activities through a company survey. A contingency valuation (CVM) questionnaire survey was also given to tourists visiting the islands to assess the non commercial value and perceptions of tourists on leisure and tourism users have for marine biodiversity. The survey also collected information on travel costs, home region, wage and local expenditure which allowed the travel cost method (TCM) to also be undertaken. The value of food provision was found using data from DEFRA statistical unit and an interview with the island fisheries officer. Information on the value of raw materials value was collected through a survey. Marine biodiversity provides the basis for a wide variety of leisure and recreation activities with coastal wildlife trips the most economically important. Leisure and recreation activities were found to be of considerable economic value when compared on a national scale. Recreational activities utilize many aspects of the marine biodiversity but the seabird and grey seal populations are of particular attraction and value to tourists and commercial operators. For the majority of visitors (60%) marine biodiversity was either very or quite important in their decision to visit the islands with peacefulness and landscape ranking higher as primary reasons why they visit. Tourists III were willing to pay on average £23 annually to protect the marine biodiversity around the islands. Interestingly what people were willing to pay showed no relationship with background characteristics or the level of importance marine life has for them. On average each tourist pays £312 ± 65.3 to travel to the Scillies which in part can be attributable to the marine biodiversity found around the islands. Shellfish species make up the majority of the value of total fisheries landings with pots the main fishing method. Although important for the local island economy the Isles of Scilly fisheries (food provision) only constituted a small part of the total value for the region. Raw materials only show very minimal utilization on the islands. Direct use services have showed very littie change over the last ten years. The environmental impacts of the direct use goods and services include wildlife disturbance, habitat damage and pollution (sewage, litter) with threats to their fiiture utilization including climate change, acidification and oil pollution. The services generally appeared to be carried out in a relatively sustainable manner. Future policy which could improve the sustainable utilization of the services include better fisheries protection, increased legislation relating to the voluntary V notching scheme, improved education of recreation uses about wildlife disturbance and better stakeholder involvement of commercial operators in issues relating to the marine conservation of the area. IVFaculty of Scienc