Browsing by Author "Pintassilgo, Pedro"
Now showing 1 - 10 of 18
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Activating an artisanal saltpan: tourism crowding in or waterbirds crowding out?Publication . Ramos, Jorge; Pinto, Patrícia; Pintassilgo, Pedro; Resende, Anabela; Cancela da Fonseca, LuísPurpose There is an increasing interest in visiting protected areas in the Algarve (Portugal). Tourists are interested in contact with nature activities. However, protected areas are quite sensitive to human pressure and are limited in their carrying capacity. The purpose of this study is to fill a literature gap concerning which features attract tourists who visit saltpans via a pedestrian tour and what sort of pressure they inflict on waterbirds' behaviour. Design/methodology/approach The tour consists of a predefined path with interpretive boards and guides who provide explanations to visitors. This study is threefold: to find out if waterbirds are disturbed by the presence of tourists, if tourists prefer to learn more about saltpans instead of finding waterbirds and if tourists have any preferred waterbird species. The methods used are direct observations with binoculars of the saltpan area and a short questionnaire. With the data collected, three hypotheses are tested. Findings The results show that the occurrence of waterbirds does not vary according to the presence or absence of tourist visits, tourists prefer visiting saltpans rather than watching waterbirds and there is some waterbird species preference. Practical implications Few people can visit the saltpan while keeping disturbance of both waterbirds and workers to a minimum. This study gives insights into sustainable ecotourism practices and how to articulate them with saltpan works. Originality/value The value of this study can be demonstrated by the interconnection between traditional salt production, waterbirds' habitat, visitors' interest and their interaction.
- A bioeconomic model for a multispecies small-scale fishery systemPublication . Azevedo, Eric; Pintassilgo, Pedro; Dantas, David; Daura-Jorge, Fábio GonçalvesA fishery encompasses various interconnected systems, including ecological, socioeconomic, and governing systems. Managing fisheries requires the simultaneous consideration of all these systems, making it a challenging endeavor. To address these challenges, fisheries bioeconomic models have emerged as a crucial tool. They are particularly valuable in the context of small-scale fisheries, which are often complex, overlooked and poorly understood. Thus, this paper presents a dynamic multispecies and multigear bioeconomic model that can illuminate the ecological, economic, and social dimensions of small-scale fisheries under different management scenarios. The model was applied to a small-scale fisheries system in Southern Brazil that has as a notable feature a cooperative fishing behavior between dolphins and fishers. Three scenarios were explored: the base scenario (status quo), the optimal management scenario, and the constrained optimal management scenario. The model outputs demonstrated a clear tradeoff between labour effort, species conservation, and economic rent. Shifting from the base to an optimal management scenario would result in a labour employment reduction within the system but concurrently yield higher stock levels, economic rent, and wages. These results illustrate how our model can explore critical management scenarios across the multiple dimensions of fisheries systems. In essence, this research offers a novel contribution in the form of a bioeconomic model tailored for small-scale fisheries involving multiple species.
- Birdwatcher profile in the Ria Formosa Natural ParkPublication . Costa, Andreia; Pintassilgo, Pedro; Matias, António; Pinto, Patrícia; Guimarães, Maria HelenaIn the Algarve the potential for birdwatching tourism is widely recognized, especially in the Ria Formosa Natural Park (RFNP). This study aims to describe birdwatchers' profile in the RFNP. For this purpose, a survey was applied. The results show that the most frequent nationalities of birdwatchers are: British (39%), Dutch (17%) and Portuguese (17%). The majority of birdwatchers are male (55%) and married (57%). The average age is 50 years old. They are highly educated (74% have an academic degree). Concerning profession, the most frequent answer was retired (41%). Respondents are committed to the activity as the majority possess special equipment and practice birdwatching in vacations. This study also tests if nationality is related to other characteristics of the birdwatchers, by using the Kruskal-Wallis and the Chi-square tests. Overall, the results of this study highlight that regional management organizations should invest in developing birdwatching in the RFNP.
- Comunidades energéticas sustentáveis: estudo de implementação de uma comunidade eólica no AlgarvePublication . Calhau, Francisco; Pintassilgo, Pedro; Guerreiro, J.Este livro aborda o tema da geração de eletricidade com recurso à energia eólica, dando assim o seu contributo para a redução das emissões de dióxido de carbono e demais gases causadores do efeito de estufa. O principal objetivo do trabalho nele descrito foi o de estudar a implementação de uma unidade de geração de eletricidade a partir da energia eólica, que permita satisfazer as necessidades de consumo de uma pequena comunidade local, na região do Algarve, e analisar a sua viabilidade financeira e económica. Acredita-se que este estudo possa, também, dar algum contributo para a maior utilização das energias renováveis na geração de eletricidade de forma descentralizada, em particular através da energia eólica. Nesse sentido, incentiva-se a constituição de sistemas locais de geração de eletricidade para autoconsumo de pequenas comunidades urbanas, indo ao encontro do conceito das Renewable Energy Communities, mais especificamente das Wind Communities.
- Cost-benefit analysis of tidal energy production in a coastal lagoon: the case of Ria Formosa – PortugalPublication . Rodrigues, Nuno; Pintassilgo, Pedro; Calhau, Francisco; G-Gorbeña, Eduardo; Pacheco, AndréThe energy that can be extracted from tidal currents is one of the most promising renewable energy sources due to its high density/predictability. Within this paper this energy source is evaluated economically respecting sustainability principles. This evaluation contrasts from previous studies due to the application of a cost-benefit analysis based on a hydro-morphodynamic model, and moving away from the classic proxy of wind energy. It further includes, via the Monte Carlo method, a probabilistic underpinning to the project. The hydro-economic model was applied to a tidal energy project using an Evopod 1:4th scale prototype, based on a real deployment of an Evopod 1:10th scale device in the Ria Formosa, Algarve. The results show that, under the current costs and benefits, the project is not economically viable. However, there are admissible parameter ranges that make the project viable such as significant reduction of investment costs, increased capacity factors and favourable energy prices. This novel methodology has potential to be applied to other tidal energy projects on estuarine systems worldwide, and consists of a comprehensive modelling approach, including the technical, environmental, and socio-economic dimensions of the project, not only in a deterministic setting but also in a probabilistic one.
- Environmental attitudes and behaviour of birdwatchers: a missing linkPublication . Pintassilgo, Pedro; Pinto, Patrícia; Costa, Andreia; Matias, António; Guimarães, M. HelenaBirdwatching is one of the fastest growing sectors of ecotourism. Managing this nature-based activity requires understanding birdwatchers’ attitudes and behaviour towards the natural environment. This paper proposes assessing these attitudes and the link to behavioural intentions by combining the New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) with a criterion-based segmentation method, the chi-squared automatic interaction detector (CHAID). This methodology was applied through a survey questionnaire to birdwatchers in the Ria Formosa Natural Park, a wetland located in South Portugal. The amount birdwatchers were willing to pay for an improvement in the environmental quality of the site, a behavioural intention variable, was used as the criterion in the CHAID analysis. Two birdwatcher segments willing to pay above average were identified and labelled as ‘environmental stewards’ and ‘birdwatching fans’. A key result that emerged from our study is that the NEP score is not a significant predictor of the willingness to pay for environmental improvement in the CHAID analysis. Hence, there is a missing link, as pro-environmental attitudes do not translate into pro-environmental behavioural intentions.
- International Fisheries Management and Recreational Benefits: The Case of Baltic SalmonPublication . Oinonen, Soile; Gronbaek, Lone; Laukkanen, Marita; Levontin, Polina; Lindroos, Marko; Nieminen, Emmi; Parkkila, Katja; Pintassilgo, Pedro; Pulkkinen, Henni; Romakkaniemi, AtsoThis article studies how accounting for the benefits of recreational fisheries affects the formation and stability of an international fisheries agreement (IFA) on the management of Baltic salmon stocks. The interaction between four countries is modelled through a partition function game, under two scenarios. In the first scenario, countries take their participation decision for the IFA based only on the net present value of profits from commercial fisheries. In the second scenario, the net present value of the recreational benefits from angling is also considered. The results show that accounting for recreational benefits leads to the formation of the grand coalition, whereas only partial cooperation occurs when payoffs are confined to profits from commercial fisheries.
- Modelling the interaction between the tourism accomodation industry and the environmentPublication . Pintassilgo, Pedro; Silva, João AlbinoNeste artigo apresenta-se um modelo sobre a indústria de alojamento turístico, a qual mantém uma relação dialéctica, de impacte e dependência, com a qualidade ambiental – um recurso comum compósito. Mostra-se que o livre acesso conduz, geralmente, à sobre-exploração económica e ambiental, isto é à “tragédia do recurso comum”. Esta situação afecta, igualmente, a indústria turística no seu todo, pois o alojamento e a qualidade ambiental desempenham papéis centrais nesta actividade económica. O resultado deste cenário é um turismo de massas,caracterizado por turistas com reduzida disponibilidade a pagar. Os resultados do modelo indicam que,exceptuando situações em que as externalidades positivas são muito ignificativas, ou em que o livre acesso enfrenta restrições activas, nomeadamente no que se refere a espaços com as características apropriadas para a actividade, a entrada de empresas deverá ser limitada, tendo por base não só o critério de eficiência económica mas, também, o de sustentabilidade.
- Motivations of tourists in wine regions: the case of La Rioja, SpainPublication . Vorobiova, Natalia; Patrícia Valle, Patrícia Oom do Valle; Pintassilgo, Pedro; Lavandoski, JoicePurpose This paper addresses the motivations of tourists who visit the region of La Rioja, Spain, which is well known for its internationally recognized, high-quality wines, yet remains understudied as a wine tourism destination. The paper aims to ascertain whether tourists are attracted to La Rioja because of its famous wines and wine-related activities or if other motivations exist. Design/methodology/approach The data were derived from 217 questionnaires regarding tourists' motivations. A tourist survey was applied in La Rioja's capital city, Logrono, and segmentation analysis was undertaken. The data were first grouped into five factors regarding motivations for one's visit. These factors were then used to create two clusters: "wine tourists" and "other tourists". Findings The results enabled us to detect different segments of tourists. The existence of two clusters suggests that tourists are motivated to visit the region for various reasons that are not necessarily wine-related. Thus, the region should be marketed to tourists beyond the theme of wine, as there is a demand for diverse experiences. Originality/value Using the push and pull theory, this study contributes to the literature on the profile of visitors to wine tourism destinations by identifying differences in terms of motivations and other personal characteristics between "wine tourists" and the "other tourists". It also adds to the few existing studies on wine tourism segmentation in Spain through its focus on La Rioja, which is one of the most famous Spanish wine tourism destinations.
- Mountain tourism stakeholders’ perspectives on waste management: The case of Everest in NepalPublication . Sangeeta Neupane; Pinto, Hugo; Pintassilgo, PedroWaste on Mount Everest, both intentional and unintentional, is a significant concern. The study, based on a site visit and interviews with residents, business owners, tourists, and government officials, highlights the region’s severe waste management issues. Key problems include the rising number of tourists, inadequate information, limited waste management infrastructure, and a lack of collective commitment. Stakeholders are not contributing effectively to the site’s sustainability as a tourist destination. There is a general lack of awareness about safe waste disposal among residents and tourists. Despite local belief that public authorities are trying to improve the situation, articulation among stakeholders is insufficient.