Acceptance of Voluntary Whalewatching Codes of Conduct in West Scotland: The Effectiveness of Governmental Versus Industry-led Guidelines.

During the tourist season of 2000, thirty whalewatching tour-operators were interviewed as to whether they referred to a whalewatching code of conduct or guidelines during their activities. Eighty-six percent stated they referred to a code of conduct. The most frequently used code was one produced by a tour operators' association (43%). Three codes of conduct produced by environmental non-governmental organisations were also used frequently to occasionally. Only 27% of the operators surveyed were aware of whalewatching guidelines produced by the UK government and none of the operators referred to these guidelines when watching whales. This study indicates that the majority of whalewatching tour operators had accepted codes of conduct but preferences were for locally, or operator-produced, codes. It is suggested that in West Scotland whalewatching tour operators should be actively involved, alongside statutory bodies, in the monitoring and managing of whalewatching.