Socio-economic aspects of the Sodwana Bay SCUBA diving industry, with a specific focus on sharks

A significant economic value of R75.48 million (95% CI: R73.07–R78.68 million) was attributed to the SCUBA diving industry at Sodwana Bay, with shark diving accounting for only 4.8% of dives but showing high potential for growth. While coral reefs were the primary attraction, 84.2% of divers expressed interest in shark diving and would revisit more often if such opportunities increased. This study highlights the economic leverage sharks could provide for their protection against fishing within iSimangaliso Wetland Park. Data were collected from 750 survey respondents among 15,780 divers over a year-long period (July 2011–July 2012), with confidence intervals estimated using Monte Carlo simulations.

Dicken, M. (2014). Socio-economic aspects of the Sodwana Bay SCUBA diving industry, with a specific focus on sharks. African Journal of Marine Science, 36(1), 39–47. https://doi.org/10.2989/1814232x.2014.893257