Some years ago when I was doing some work in Liberia, I managed to get some time off to go to Robertsport to surf. I remember seeing kids surfing there with broken boards, it made me think of my own childhood on my old board learning to surf. How much joy surfing has brought me. I use the word “joy” deliberately. As Deepak Chopra has said, happiness and sadness are fleeting and part of the mental self, necessary in contrast. Joy is part of the spiritual self. To have joy (just like other haves: trust, acceptance, appreciation, affection, to name a few) is an integral part of resilience and human wellbeing.
I have been living in Mazatlan for the past few years. Mazatlan is a city in Sinaloa, the state home of El Chapo and arguably one of the most powerful drug cartel in the world. One can see the impact of drugs on communities in the city, especially with many young teenagers being pulled in. I have had some friends who have talked to me about how surfing for them was a way out of what could have been a dangerous life path. Mazatlan is a great place for surfers, and the surfing community is a supportive community (in fact, it was my main community of support while I was in Mazatlan) - helping each other with boards, edging eachother on to become better surfers, and supporting each other when someone needs something or someone.
For such a community to form, one of course needs waves. Mazatlan has many, but has also undergone some changes and lost some in the process. I have heard how my favorite wave, Los Pinos (I loved that wave so much my dog carries the same name), was once a wave that was three times as long, but because of development along the coastline it had been shorted to such an extent that the wave now breaks into deeper water and fades out much quicker. Hotel development along the golden zone of Mazatlan has stopped the inflow of sand and changed the break called “Camaron” so much so that even I have noticed it in the short three years I lived there. On top of this, hotel development has blocked off access for some surfers to get to the breaks. The surfing community got together and tried to stop the development on the last remaining plot in front of Camaron - they lost this battle but at least they managed to get access to the beach which likely would not have been provided if no action had been taken.
There are many other examples like this. Waves are part of nature of course, as are we. Nature is the foundation of our economy. However, as I have already mentioned in many previous posts, we do not value nature. We extract from it, manufacture goods and services from it, and contaminate it with our waste, in a linear fashion. While there are big initiatives around changing the economic system from this linear, extractive model, to a more circular one that is focused on human wellbeing instead of growth as its ownly indicator of success, environmental economists in the meantime are trying hard to put values on nature to include them into the current economic system in order to make sure we do not destroy this foundation (while we are making the transition to more sustainable economic structures). The economics of ecosystem services and biodiversity has been around since the 1990s and much work has gone into valuing the stocks and flows of nature into our economy. This has also resulted in informed decision-making whether a particular type of development should take place that might have an impact on these stocks and flows.
So how does surfing fit into this picture? Well, environmental economist Dr Ana Manero has been working at answering this question. She works as a Research Fellow at Australian National University and has been at the forefront of surfing economics (see the website for the work she does: www.surfingeconomics.org).
She shares some cases, including at Mundaka (a world-class wave in northern Spain) that temporally disappeared because dredging of the nearby rivermouth changed ocean dynamics which resulted in a decline in economic activity. In her home, in Perth, a new marina construction threatens three local surf breaks. She says that studies have shown that well planned coastal management interventions can dramatically increase benefits to surfers and non-surfers, using the example of Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast in Australia, a world class wave thanks to river sediment relocation (a costly operation but the benefits outweigh the expenses).
Research into the value of waves could support their inclusion into developmental decision-making. Changes to the coastline – such as from sea walls – can dramatically reduce the quality of surfing waves. But the consequences of coastal developments on surfing are often poorly understood and rarely quantified before projects start.
Some existing studies have shown surfing's contributions to the economy, but not in the detail needed. For instance, one global study found that the surf travel industry alone, brought in USD 65 billion per year pre-COVID. At the national economic level, UK (not generally even known as a surf-famous country) has shown that surfing contributes 5 billion pounds to the country’s economy every year.
Some countries have given waves legal protection, including Bells Beach in Australia, and Peru and New Zealand have granted statutory protection to their surf breaks under environmental protection laws.
For Ana, she is focusing on understanding the real value of surfing in Australia, one of the most famous surfing countries in the world. “A rigorous, science-based evaluation of surfing’s total economic value could serve to inform cost-benefit analysis of coastal management programs. These may include fighting erosion to protect the coastline, or building artificial surf reefs.”
I had an opportunity to ask Ana some questions and discuss some thoughts with her:
1. Are you working on quantifying in some way the benefits of surfing other than financial?
The benefits of surfing are many and it depends, like for all other ecosystems services, on what is it that you want to measure. For example, the Surf Coast of Victoria, home to Bells Beach, used to have a strong presence of big brands being headquarters there. For them, understanding the impact on job creation and talent retention was fundamental. Other places may be more interested in knowing how surfing contributes to the physical and mental health of the local community, which can also be measured in a systematic way. This may or may not include dollar figures.
2. I would love to hear your opinion about economic valuation in terms of the current economic model versus changing the value system of the economic model we have to work with (e.g. what are the growth contributions in monetary terms in terms of GDP of surfing, one could argue that for instance some development might have stronger numbers but might not contribute to human wellbeing) - this is something I grapple with in this economic transformation space and environmental practitioners having to think in economics versus economists having to think environmentally…
This is something environmental economists and many others are grappling with, and it extends to many other natural features, like carbon emissions or biodiversity. Again, it all depends on what that information is going to be used for. It’s all about trade-offs and we make those everyday as individuals. For instance, do you buy organic foods knowing they are better for you and the environment, but come at a higher cost? Or, how often do you choose to cycle or walk, or take the car for convenience? We are making decisions where we have to choose between money, convenience, well-being and the environment. We all do, but ironically, when governments try to do this, many feel uncomfortable. You see, environmental valuation is not about monetising nature to put it up for sale, it’s about presenting information in a way that can be most useful for rigorous decision-making. Beyond the metrics, it’s fundamental to have strong legal frameworks and governance. What I mean by this is that there are certain values that must be protected from an ethical and moral standpoint. That’s why we have laws that veil for the integrity of those fundamental rights.
3. What are things that you are currently working on that really excite you?
There are so many. First of all, I am working on a series of projects around water management and water quality across Australia. Did you know that thousands of people in Australia don’t have safe drinking water in their taps? As part of a large team, I’m working to understand the extent of the problem and what would be the costs and benefits of fixing it.
On the surfing front, what most excites me is that, since I started doing this work, I have come across many academics and other people in industry and government who are also committed to the recognition and protection of surfing ecosystems. In Australia, where I am based, I think we are at a point where we can come together with different areas of expertise and make a step change for the better. I can bring the data I’ve collected on the contributions of surfing to the market economy and participants well-being; while others may bring in knowledge, for example, on how climate change and erosion will impact our natural surf breaks. Most government bodies don’t have any of this information, but they are waking up to the urge to preserve our waves and the myriad of benefits that come from them.
4. In our discussions, you mentioned "surfing moms", a support group for surfing moms that you are actively part of? How did this group come about?
Two new mums were sipping coffees, watching the rolling Byron Bay waves, trying to get over another sleepless night. They turned to each other and said: what if we ditch the coffee for a surf and we take turns looking after the babies? Just like that, Surfing Mums was born. 25 years later, we have over 400 members across 40 groups in Australia and a sister organisation in the USA, which is has had a stellar success. As we say, the waves are just the beginning. Surfing Mums bring together parents from all walks of life, joined by our common passion for ocean-based, active lifestyles. Kids love it too.
Surfing Mums was a lifeline for me. While I was doing my PhD, working from home with a newborn, thanks to Surfing Mums I was able to stay active, enjoy quality time with my daughter and become part of a wonderful community.
Visit the site here: https://www.surfingmums.com/home/
5. Are there any practical steps that a surfing community could already take if faced with a developmental challenge threatening their break?
Often changes to the coast happen slowly. It is important to take notice and speak to others in your community about what you are observing and why it may be a problem. In Aotearoa/New Zealand, surfers and surfing organisations were the ones who promoted changes to environmental policies that resulted in legal protection for surf breaks. People can also contact NGOs, such as Surfrider Foundation, Save the Waves, Hazlo por tu ola, Surfers Against Sewerage. Ultimately, you can also raise your concerns with your local government.
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