The thinking behind the service

A genuine ecotourism experience made demands on both the operator and the guest. Visitors could expect privileged insight into the nature and culture of the region they had come to see, and assurance that the people providing the trip worked to environmentally sustainable practices.

Operators had to contribute actively to the conservation of local biodiversity and cultural heritage, and take real steps to minimise the impact of their operation on local nature and culture. Ecotourism tends to work in small groups, focused on the best nature experiences an area has, on meeting local people, on local food, and on genuine insight into the place being visited.

How it worked here

The coastal guiding service offered an integrated experience. Saltwater fly fishing brought us to coastal locations where we were challenged by the fish, the environment and the conditions. During downtime, customers experienced Wexford’s — and Ireland’s — coastal communities, food and culture, day by day, kept local wherever possible.

Care of the fish was always at the front of it: single barbless or de-barbed hooks, in-the-water returns wherever possible, and a no-weigh, measure-only catch and release policy. Angling groups were deliberately small — never more than three people — which let us move freely and quietly through the environment with minimal impact.

Moving within the angling environment, we found ourselves surrounded by — and coming to appreciate — the natural and cultural heritage along the Wexford shore. Spending time across many different fishing environments and places of local heritage let people understand the interdependence of one environment on another. It was only through that understanding that a wider appreciation, advocacy and empathy for the protection of the coastal resource genuinely developed.

Coastal guiding could never be entirely green, and the service acknowledged that by developing and practising workable solutions — in the angling environment, moving through the countryside, and across the normal operating hours of the season.

Why it mattered

Ecotourism suits unspoiled places because it can create work and income without degrading the natural or cultural assets the visitor came for. Like no other industry, it gives unspoiled areas an economic value — and that value runs alongside real benefit for nature conservation and a focus on reducing impact.

The richer the experience offered to the angler, the greater the chance of diversification into the local community and support of ancillary services: good food, good music, immersion in modern Irish life, quality Irish-made product. Visiting anglers couldn’t find that at home, and it created a particular trust between guide and angler — the foundation of any guiding service.

That thinking hasn’t gone anywhere. It is what the workshops are built on now.

Workshops →

Jim Hendrick