ABSTRACT
As the previous chapter discussed, attractive as it may be for providing a basis for smallscale sustainable development and for supporting subsistence economies, the commercialisation of marine mammal products is not without controversy. As well as international management regimes and opposition from animal-rights groups and whale conservation societies, protectionist legislation such as the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act restricts cultural and economic development through the use of renewable resources. While international agreements on acceptable levels of renewable resource harvesting may be a long way off, other less controversial locally-controlled enterprises, such as adventure tourism and eco-tourism, are being developed that may guarantee employment and income for residents of small Arctic communities. This chapter discusses the development of tourism in the Arctic and, with particular reference to Alaska, considers indigenous involvement in the tourism industry and assesses its prospects for community development.
