Dive tourism, fishing and marine protected areas in the Calamianes Islands, Philippines

Many conservationists and local governments in the Philippines (and other tropical countries) have attempted to link marine protected areas (MPAs) with dive tourism, arguing that the user fees generated by dive tourism can potentially generate satisfactory outcomes for all stakeholders. In this paper, an account of the relationship between MPAs, dive tourism and small-scale fisheries in the Calamianes Islands, Philippines, is presented. It is argued that although the assumed harmonious relationship between marine conservation and dive tourism may work in theory, in practice different understandings of MPAs can create conflict.