Every year around World Ocean Day on June 8th, the Editor's social feeds fill up with ocean-themed content — reducing plastic waste, coral bleaching, overfishing, and more. As ocean people, we often witness the sea's breathtaking beauty beneath the surface, and we're also the first to see just how fragile it is. From a global perspective, however, the Editor has noticed that since the international travel market rebounded in recent years, the concept of sustainable tourism and the blue economy has gained significant traction in the face of extreme revenge travel. The health of marine ecosystems is no longer just a concern for ecologists — it directly determines tourism revenue, local employment, and the resilience of entire industries. For island nations and coastal economies that depend heavily on marine resources, marine conservation is no longer a simple "expense" but an "investment" tightly linked to economic development.
Two recent reports truly resonated with the Editor. One focused on the blue economy value of manta rays in the Maldives, illustrating how tourism revenue generated by activities like scuba diving and snorkeling can turn a single flagship species into a key pillar of a local tourism industry. The other came from Australia's dive industry, approaching the issue from a business-risk angle and warning that without adequate marine resource protection, the diving and coastal tourism market could suffer losses on the scale of tens of billions of Australian dollars. Both reports point to the same core message: the economic value of marine ecosystems.
The Maldives is one of the world's premier destinations for watching manta rays, drawing countless divers from around the globe year after year. To understand just how much tourism value manta rays bring to the Maldives, the globally renowned marine conservation and charitable organisation Manta Trust partnered with researchers to "put a price tag" on them. The research found that manta ray tourism alone generates as much as US$311 million in annual revenue for the Maldives. And when you factor in all the encounters a single manta ray has with divers and snorkelers over the course of its lifetime, each individual manta ray contributes an astonishing US$2.6 million (approximately NT$83 million) to the local economy. Surprising, isn't it? Those few minutes we spend gazing at one underwater — the manta ray isn't just a miracle of nature; it's the "blue anchor investor" sustaining countless dive guides, boat captains, guesthouses, and restaurant owners in the area.
That said, this kind of blue economy value only holds as long as manta rays continue to appear in healthy waters, and as long as tourism management can maintain a sustainable balance. If habitats are damaged, water quality declines, or tourism pressure becomes too high, the entire supply chain suffers. In other words, marine ecosystems aren't a side attraction — they are the true foundation of the tourism industry.
Protect It or Pay the Price: Australia's Dive Industry Takes Out Full-Page Ads
The second report covers a recent open letter jointly signed by Australia's dive industry and addressed to the government, calling for an expansion of marine protected areas (MPAs). Australia's Department of the Environment is currently conducting a review of the country's Commonwealth Marine Parks — a once-a-decade assessment — prompting the Australian dive industry to take out full-page advertisements in major local newspapers. The ads warned that without stronger protections for critical marine environments, Australia could lose as much as AU$4.2 billion (approximately NT$93.3 billion) in diving tourism revenue, dealing a devastating blow to the industry.
The ads specifically highlighted that many of Australia's renowned dive sites attract international divers not just because of their geographic location, but because they still possess relatively intact marine environments — environments that currently "don't have adequate protection." Taking the Great Barrier Reef as an example — a world-class dive destination — it contributes approximately US$9 billion per year and supports around 77,000 jobs, with tourism accounting for the vast majority of that value. "This sets a compelling benchmark for the economic potential of well-protected marine environments across the entire Commonwealth marine estate."
Australia's experience resonated deeply with the Editor, because it demonstrates that marine protection is not merely the mandate of an environment ministry or the cause of conservation groups — it is a comprehensive economic strategy. When a country begins to view marine protected areas as tourism assets, employment foundations, and components of competitive national branding, conservation transforms from an ideology into a policy instrument. This kind of thinking is crucial, because it allows governments, industry players, and communities to discuss long-term returns within the same framework, rather than focusing solely on short-term development profits.
Marine Conservation Is the Key to a Blue Economy
Every time the Editor looks out at the deep blue waters of Kenting, the Northeast Coast, Xiaoliuqiu, Penghu, Green Island, or Orchid Island, the same thought comes to mind: isn't Taiwan in exactly the same position? The captivating sea turtles of Xiaoliuqiu, the stunning marine ecosystems of Green Island, the crystal-clear glass-like waters of Orchid Island — these things we take for granted every time we dive are the very foundation supporting the dreams of so many young Taiwanese returning to their hometowns, and the livelihoods of countless coastal villages and families.
Tourism talk often revolves around "short-term traffic," and government policy often circles around "local revitalisation," but if we destroy the coral reefs underwater, frighten away the sea turtles, and let dive sites fill with trash, those one-off surges of popularity will ultimately be nothing more than bubbles. The Editor has always believed that ocean protection shouldn't only be an environmental advocacy cause — it must be a "sustainable survival strategy," so that we and our children can always have an ocean to look at, and always have a living to make from it.
Sources
- Maldives manta ray blue economy research (Manta Trust): Moloney et al. 2026
- Report on Australia's dive industry warning to the government: Dive industry govt warning (Nature Media Centre)
- Original full-page ad from Australia's dive industry: Dive ad media (PDF)
Cover image: Pexels / Emma Li.
