C.B. Smallwood

Benchmarking Recreational Boating Pressure in the Rottnest Island Reserve, Western Australia

Rottnest Island, off Western Australia, is a popular holiday destination with 0.5 million visitors annually, of which 150,000 arrive by private vessel. Management of these vessels is difficult as few data are available on their visitation patterns and associated recreational activities. An observational survey was conducted to provide baseline data. It clearly indicated higher vessel numbers during summer and on public holidays with some mooring areas exceeding 100% occupancy during these periods. Scuba diving and surfing were recorded at numerous locations around the island in the summer and winter months, respectively. Recreational fishing generally occurred throughout the year. The spatial and temporal patterns of boating and associated recreational usage can be used to assess the impact of management decisions and provide a benchmark for long-term monitoring.

Influence of zoning and habitats on the spatial distribution of recreational activities in a multiple-use marine park

The spatial distribution of recreation is influenced by many factors, and also differs between activity types. Understanding these relationships is essential for planning and sustainable management of resource use, especially in coastal marine parks, which are often exposed to considerable anthropogenic pressure. However, such information is rarely available, especially at fine spatial scales. Ningaloo Marine Park, in north-western Australia, has a diversity of zoning and habitats, making it an ideal location to investigate the effect of these two attributes on recreational use. Spatially explicit data on a suite of recreational activities were obtained using 192 land-based roving surveys conducted over a 12-month period. Fishing was distributed widely throughout the Marine Park and was negatively associated with sanctuary (no-take) zones, whilst surfing and snorkeling had relatively high participation but were undertaken at localized sites, characterized by a rocky shoreline and sanctuary zones, respectively. Such data provides a greater understanding of patterns of recreational use with respect to zoning and habitat which can inform management and planning processes. This is especially pertinent for sanctuary zones, which, although they exclude recreational fishing and its associated effects, are popular with people participating in non-extractive activities (i.e., snorkeling) and may therefore still be vulnerable to environmental impacts.

Effects of adjacent land tenure on visitor use of Ningaloo Marine Park, Western Australia

Although many marine parks are located adjacent to coastlines with a variety of tenures, the influence of this tenure on visitor use is poorly known. Ningaloo Marine Park in Western Australia adjoins the coast along its entire 300 kilometre length and is accessed via several land tenure types that encapsulate a suite of attributes (i.e. services, facilities and management controls). The effect of tenure on visitor and visit characteristics, and recreational activities, was investigated using 1208 visitor surveys. Visitor origin and length of stay varied significantly among tenures, while repeat visitation and site fidelity were high, especially on pastoral leases. Although a wide range of recreational activities occurred in the marine park adjacent to all tenures, the percentage of respondents involved in activities such as fishing, sailing sports and snorkelling varied among tenures. These results highlight the influence of a mix of tenures, and accompanying attributes, on visitor use of an adjacent marine park. Although this provides a challenge for managers of marine parks with an extensive coastal interface in achieving the dual objectives of conservation and recreation, it also contributes to a diversity of visitor experiences.