Endangered Species: Honey Bees in the United States Now Protected By Federal Law

Introduction

There are several native species of the yellow bees in Hawaii which have placed under the category of the endangered species by the American Fish and Wildlife service. The bees are now protected under the endangered species act in America since they have been named as endangered species and have reduced in numbers which is the cause for the alarm (Kennedy, 2016). The Xerces society is an organization that advocated for the species to be considered as endangered since their numbers have greatly reduced (Frye, 2016). The bees are well known since they are yellow in color and have some white facial paintings. The bees are the only ones native in Hawaii therefore able to reach the Hawaii islands and are different species but researchers say that the numbers of these beautiful species is getting smaller.

The fish and wildlife service got concerned since the bee species cannot be growing smaller instead of growing in large numbers. For instance the Hylaeus anthracinus were usually found in large dozens unlike currently where they are just fifteen in number (Wang, 2016). The fish and wildlife service wanted to identify the problem affecting the population of the bees thus had to carry out research in order to identity the cause. Habitat destruction due to urbanization and development was one of the causes of the reduced bees’ population. When their habitats are destroyed they easily die since they are not adapted to live in other areas. Wildlife fires, increasing predators and introduction of some plant species such as nonnative has greatly led to their loss since they are not left with any habitat or food to feed on (Oh, 2016). In addition natural disasters such as drought and hurricanes have led to their reduction in numbers since their habitats and food get easily destroyed because of such natural calamities.

The status of the bees being placed as endangered species will ensure that the remaining bees’ populations are well protected and conserved in order to prevent them from becoming extinct (Wang, 2016). All the federal agencies consult with the wildlife service in order to interact with all endangered species thus much has to be done in order to save the remaining populations of the Hawaii bees. The federal law that led to the bees species being termed endangered is ensuring that the bees’ population is conserved and their habitats being identified so that urbanization cannot lead to the bees becoming extinct (Wang, 2016). The federal law pressures the wildlife service to clearly identity the habitats of the bees since they are important both economically and ecologically. The bees are the major global pollinators together with the butterflies thus they should be conserved since they are at a threat of facing extinction. The world’s food supply could go down without the pollinators since pollination is an essential process for the growth of plants.

Most of the crops depend on pollination which is important thus the food supply is estimated to reduce if the bees and butterflies become extinct (Wang, 2016). The bees face threats but have continued to survive thus they need protection so that they can increase in numbers rather than becoming extinct. The federal protection is aimed at ensuring the authorities implement programs which will ensure the bees habitats are recovered through providing funds for this process to take place (Czarnezki, 2011). The bees are important since they ensure that native plant species found in the Hawaii Islands are able to flourish and grow to maturity. If the bees were to become extinct the native plant species would be no more since they depend on the bees for growth and reproduction. The islands ensure that agriculture is possible in the US but if the bees were to disappear agriculture would be no more in the islands and this will cause food problems. The federal agencies are aware of the importance of the bees thus want to ensure that their habits are recovered so that the population of the bees can rise.

Conclusion

The federal laws have ensured the wild bees in Hawaii are protected since they are important in ensuring the pollination process remains successful and the plant growth is possible. The endangered bee species receive federal protection since wildlife service and the Xerces society are aware of the environmental advantage of the bees’ species. Their habitats have been destroyed but the laws are pushing the authorities to ensure the habitats are recovered. Thus the federal agencies provide funding to the authorities so that the bees can remain protected and their habitats recovered. The federal agencies provide funds to the organizations which research on the bees so that more research can be done on the conservation and protection of the most important agents of pollination. The bees are important since they ensure both plants and animals become healthy thus need to get protection which is now possible through the federal law that protects them. Federal protection has ensured the bees are conserved since they are important even though people might undermine them.

References

Kennedy. M (2016) Bees Added to US Endangered species list for the 1st time. Retrieved from             http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/10/03/496402620/bee-species-added-to-u-  s-endangered-species-list-for-1st-time

Oh.R (2016) Bees species added to endangered list for the first time. Retrieved from             http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/bees-endangered-list/

Frye . P (2016) Endangered Species: Honey Bees in the United States Now Protected By Federal             Law. Retrieved from http://www.inquisitr.com/3555769/endangered-species-honey-bees-           in-the-united-states-now-protected-by-federal-law/

Wang.B. A (2016) bees were just added to the U.S endangered species list for te first time.           Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-   science/wp/2016/10/03/u-s-bees-were-just-added-to-the-endangered-species-list-for-the-           first-time/

Czarnezki, J. J. (2011). Everyday environmentalism: Law, nature & individual behavior.

 Tourism in New Zealand

Other than its high population and an even higher rate of outbound travels, India is the eleventh largest international visitor to New Zealand. An average of 24,000 tourists from India visit New Zealand every year with the number of visitors from this country expected to continue increasing with time. The visits normally take place in two peak seasons which are April and may or November and December. In India, May is the hottest month and most citizens prefer to travel this time. In this period, tourist in New Zealand from India constitute for 45% of the population with the rest of the Indian tourist distributed across the rest of the peak seasons. The type of Indian visitors are mostly independent professionals, families on holidays and VFR travelers who stay in the New Zealand for a period of between 9 to 78 days (Tourism New Zealand, 2016).

            India is expected to contribute to the outbound tourists by 50 million and 28 million of the people who hold passports could be attracted to New Zealand for tourism. Due to the high potential for attracting a high number of tourists, New Zealand should be ready to make adjustments and boost its tourism industry so as to benefit from the new opportunities that will be created by the Indian market. Even though there have been a promising number of tourists visiting new Zealand in destinations such as Queenstown, there are some improvements that could be made to ensure that more tourists come in to enjoy the tourist attraction sites. For instance, there is no direct route to fly tourists from India to New Zealand (Tourism New Zealand, 2016). Tourists have to travel through Asian hubs such as Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. There is also the lack of adequate air seats assigned for New Zealand and this is a great challenge to the tourism industry. In order to attract tourists from India, the airline issue needs to be addressed and to make the journey as comfortable to ensure that tourists look forward to visit destinations such as Queenstown, New Zealand to enjoy its various attractions (Destination Queenstown, 2016).

            To improve the situation in Queenstown, New Zealand, two rationales have been considered for the strategies implemented to enhance growth of tourism in the area. One rationale is to try and increase the demand for tourism through innovative marketing for Queenstown. The goal is to use consumer marketing through campaigns that are focused towards attracting tourists from countries such as India during the seasons of spring, summer or autumn. Attractions like cycling and golf could be used in the marketing campaigns together with the amenities that Queenstown has to offer (Destination Queenstown, 2016). As part of the marketing strategy, social media could be used to showcase what tourists will enjoy and entice them to make New Zealand their tourism destination. Trade marketing could also be enhanced to attract more tourists from India through trade. Broadening the services offered by airlines and tourism agents will attract more visitors thus creating more exposure to the various tourist destination sites (QLDC, 2015).

            Another rationale is the improvement of the tourism department through economic development. This will be achieved by combining investments and policies in order to place organizations and individuals in a position where they can benefit from the opportunities presented by tourism. It also aims at improving the living standards of residents of Queenstown and improves the quality of life in the area. Among the various factors that determine whether Indian tourists will visit Queenstown is the aspect of human resources (QLDC, 2016). Employees, investors and entrepreneurs are influential and also make decisions regarding the best ways to attract people from other countries into New Zealand. By assessing the condition of the various markets, they are aware of the decisions that need to be made so as to make local amenities and attractions appealing to tourists. They also make policies that determine the life that both locals and tourists will experience while in the area. Local governments and the central government are examples of the various human resource bodies that could help to improve the state of Queenstown as an ideal tourist destination.

            In the case of financial resources, the town can rely on local business groups, the government and the population’s contribution or the purpose of boosting tourism in the area. The physical structure of Queenstown is lucrative and has a lot of attractions ideal for tourism in the area. Other than hotels and good infrastructure, there are bike trails, lakes and mountains that make it a place worth visiting. Although a lot has been put into promoting tourism in the area, caution must be taken so as not to alter the tourism organizational structure that already attracts and supports a wide number of tourists each year (QLDC, 2016).

            Since improving tourism in the area is a process, a strategic monitoring method of assessing if the milestones are successful will be regular check to see how many tourists from India visit Queenstown. Visiting records and durations of stay will be essential in determining if the milestones were successful in attracting new tourists from the target market. Another strategy is to conduct voluntary online questionnaires for Indians to see what they think of the improvement in Queenstown as a tourist attraction site. A contingency plan could be made when tourists exceed the expected number whereby they will be encouraged to visit other areas in New Zealand other than Queenstown. If they do not meet the expected number, a contingency plan may include using tour guides in other towns to inform tourists of other attraction cites worth visiting in Queenstown. If normal, the plan will involve assessing what more could be done to attract more tourists especially from India.

References

Destination Queenstown, (2016) “Queenstown New Zealand” retrieved from,             https://www.queenstownnz.co.nz/information/thingstodo/

Queenstown Lake District Council, (2015) “Economic development strategy” New Zealand

Tourism New Zealand, (2016) “Three year marketing strategy FY2014-FY2016” New Zealand    Tourism

Tourism in South Africa

Tourism in South Africa is one of the main foreign exchange earner in the country. The country offers both international and domestic tourism, since it has a wide variety of tourist attraction sites which include wild animals, landscapes, miscellaneous cultural heritage and vastly regarded wines. The above tourist attractions have really helped the country in being able to increase Gross Domestic price (GDP), due to the ever increasing number of tourists. South Africa also boasts the best national park in Africa, the best coastlines and beaches, which are: Kruger national park, KwaZulu-Natal and the Cape provinces in the west respectively (Hottola, 2009). Moreover, the country is well developed and it has good transport and communication networks which favour tourism activities. Urbanization is also another major factor in the country, since it has very major cities which are, Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town.

According to a research conducted by World Travel and Tourism Council, tourism has contributed 102 billion South African Rands to the country’s GDP. The tourism industry also supports 10.3% of jobs in South Africa, with an estimated 1.2 million jobs in the tourism industry. The country, therefore fully depends on tourism since it is a major source of revenue. Majority of tourists in South Africa come from its neighbouring countries in the Southern region of Africa which contributes to 73% of tourists in the country. Domestic tourism in the country is also good and it contributes to 52% of the total revenue in the country (Keyser, 2009). Tourism has really helped in stabilizing the country’s economy which grows year after year due to the ever growing number of tourists in the country. Tourism has also bettered the living standards of the South Africans, particularly those who have been employed in the tourism industries.

South Africa has three major tourism destinations which are: Kruger national park, the Winelands and Robben Island.

Kruger National Park

The park, which was established in the year 1926, is one of the most visited national parks in South Africa. In the year 2010-2011, an estimated 1 429 904 visited the national park. The national park has a wide variety of animals which include the following: Elephants, lions, cheetahs, leopards, white rhinoceroses, kudus, blue wildebeests, impalas, hippopotamuses, hyenas and giraffes (Hottola, 2009). The national park covers an area of 19,485 kilometres squared, and it lies in Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces which are in the north-eastern side of South Africa. The wide variety of animals attracts tourists from different parts of the world who visit the park in order to see these animals.

The Winelands

This is among the oldest and the most beautiful areas designated for the production of wine areas in the country. The winelands has a series of valleys which are fertile as opposed to other parts of Cape Town.  Winelands is the second tourist attraction area from Cape Town, and it provides samples of many different wines in a both historical and wonderful scenic setting. Winelands was also the second region after Cape Town to be settled (Keyser, 2009). Its streets are lined with Dutch architectural designs making the area to look even more beautiful as compared to other areas. The vines provide a natural scenery making the place to look even more beautiful hence attracting most tourists.

Robben Island

            This is an island which is in the Table Bay, 6.9 km to the west of Bloubergstrand, Cape Town. The name, Robben Island, is Dutch and it stands for the seal island. The Island is 3.3 km long, and 1.9km wide and it covers an area of 5.07 square kilometres. The former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela was imprisoned there for I8 years during the apartheid system in South Africa (South africa, 2013). Three of the former prisons in Robben Island have become presidents and these are: Kgalema Motlanthe, Nelson Mandela and Jacob Zuma (Hottola, 2009). The Island has been mainly used for the isolation of political prisoners, and hence acts as a historical area. Most tourists visit the place in order to understand the historical events of the country. 

The main exchange rate of the South African rand (ZAR) is the Us Dollar, since both countries support each other in the tourism sectors.

In order for one to be ale to visit South Africa, he or she must meet the following requirements:

Must have a valid passport or a travel document.

Must have a valid Visa.

Must be able to pay for his or her expenses in the country (Keyser, 2009).

Must have a return ticket.

Must have taken yellow fever tests.

There are many travel companies which offer travel solutions in South Africa, and they include the following: Footprints in Africa, getaway Africa and Great North cultural tours.

Footprints in Africa.

The company offers good safari solutions, and advice to anyone who wishes to visit different national parks in South Africa (Hottola, 2009).

Getaways Africa

The company offers guided holidays safaris to different areas in the country. Getaway Company is very convenient as its tour guides offer tourist with the best tourism experience (Keyser, 2009).

Great North Cultural Tours

The company mainly offers travel solutions to the northern regions of the country, which includes Cape Town, and is therefore good for people visiting winelands, Robben Island and Kruger National park.

The main problem facing tourism in South Africa is poor transport connectivity. The country has very strict rules on the application of visas, and this makes it hard for international tourists to be able to visit the country. Most international tourists end up visiting other areas due to the strict rules associated with the application of visa (Hottola, 2009). The Chinese are some of the major tourists who visit the country, but due to the lack of a proper system of visa acquirement, they end up visiting other countries.

Reference

Hottola, P. (2009). Tourism strategies and local responses in Southern Africa. Wallingford, Oxfordshire, U.K: CABI.

Keyser, H. (2009). Developing tourism in South Africa: Towards competitive destinations. Cape Town: Oxford University Press.

South africa, 2013. (2013). Place of publication not identified: Oxford Business Group.