SUBJECT: The value of Marine Biodiversity? What you would pay for?
AUTHOR: Roberto Danovaro
DATE: 15th April 2003


I'm trying to reply to the question posed by Tasso Eleftheriou, tackling some points made by Boero. What is the value of change of Marine Biodiversity? What is the value of change of Marine Landscape? What is the value of species loss?

When we discuss the matter of costs, we had better open up the issue to those studying money seriously: the economists. Yesterday I posed myself this question: how to evaluate this? In my opinion the reply is: 1) either we do know more and we know how much we can profit of the existence of a species or of an habitat or landscape (that means we need to study more, and I think everybody agrees on this point); or 2) we could start with a classical market investigation. We create adequate questionnaires (open or closed) and we go around asking to people: What would you would pay for not loosing the possibility of watching dolphins in the Mediterranean? or What you would pay for having dolphins swimming in this bay? or What you would pay for keeping this beautiful coastal/marine landscape? Nothing new, indeed, in USA they already started with a similar approach for some terrestrial habitats.

The results could be interesting and twofold: we could better understand the public perception of marine conservation, politicians could have a better idea of the value of marine ecosystems (not just fisheries!) and we could also understand how little we have been able to "educate" the world outside our labs on marine biodiversity matters.... Why not try?

A contribution by:
Roberto Danovaro