This article is from page 8 of the 2006-02-14 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
A CALL was made this week for a coordinated approach to the marketing of the dolphin-watching industry in the Shannon Estuary.
Dr Simon Berrow of the Shannon Whale and Dolphin Foundation (SWDF) made the call on the back of figures released to The Clare People showing that the dolphin-watching industry had failed to build on the massive gains enjoyed at the start of the decade.
The SWDF figures show that there has been a slow, but steady decline in the numbers dolphin watching in the years recorded since 2002.
Last year there were 431 dolphin trips on the estuary. There are no statistics available for 2004, however, the 2005 out-turn represents a five per cent drop on the 454 trips in 2003.
The 2003 figure in turn represented a three per cent drop on the numbers dolphin watching in 2002.
Between 1998 and 2001, the thenfledgling industry enjoyed a massive 400 per cent increase in dolphin watching trips and 600 per cent increase in dolphin watching numbers.
“There is a need for a co-ordinated approach amongst all the operators in the estuary to market dolphin watching, because the figures have reached a plateau out in recent years,” said Dr Berrow.
“There has been a positive feedback from the operators to the idea of a promotional plan. I realise that they are competitors to one another, but they must make the pie bigger for everyone concerned.
Dr Berrow said that the dolphin watching in the Shannon estuary “is quite badly promoted.”
“I spoke to secondary students at a Shannon school recently and only 10 per cent had heard of dolphin watching which is an indictment on the level of promotion.
One of the operators, Paul Griffin of the Dolphin Discovery, said however that everything was been done to promote dolphin watching.
“There hasn’t been any reduced spend on marketing and we are doing everything we should be doing.
“Last year was better that 2004 and we would hope to increase the numbers again this year.”
“A lot of the business would have come from people holidaying in Lahinch and Kilkee and there has been repeat business from that area, but not now to the extent that was there and that would account for some of the drop.”