Leah BurnsGriffith University · School of Environment
Leah Burns
BSc(Hons), MSc, PhD
About
46
Publications
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Introduction
Environmental anthropologist. Senior Lecturer and Program Director in the School of Environment and Science at Griffith University. Foundation member the Environmental Futures Research Institute. Former Head of the Rural Tourism Department at Hólar University in Iceland and head of tourism research at the Icelandic Seal Center. PhD in tourism from Murdoch University in Australia. Working on projects related to ethical management of wildlife tourism & social sustainability of tourism development.
Additional affiliations
August 2014 - December 2015
July 2013 - present
Icelandic Seal Center
Position
- Head
Description
- Responsible for guiding and managing tourism research at the Icelandic Seal Center.
August 2014 - present
Education
March 2002 - September 2009
March 1992 - September 1997
February 1986 - November 1990
Publications
Publications (46)
http://purl.library.usyd.edu.au/sup/9781743320297
Humans and nonhuman animals engage with each other in a multitude of fascinating ways. They have always done so, motivated by both necessity and choice. Yet, as human population numbers increase and our impact on the planet expands, this engagement takes on new meanings and requires new understanding. In Engaging with animals: interpretations of a...
Ethics underlie all our decisions and actions. The aim of this paper is to, first, highlight the sorts of ethical positions that inform wildlife management and, second, to propose a different set of ecocentric ethical principles that not only provide for a more authentic visitor experience of nature, but also enhance the long-term survival of wildl...
Images on brochures, web pages and postcards lead to an expectation by tourists and visitors that interaction with Dingoes (Canis lupus Dingo) will be part of their Fraser Island experience. Yet, as the number of tourists to the island increase, so do the reports of Dingo attacks. The first recorded death from such an attack on Fraser Island occurr...
Most people around the world eat meat and billions of animals are slaughtered each year to meet that demand. For many, eating meat is a biocultural activity steeped in tradition and formative in cuisines and identity. Eating meat, however, comes with a myriad of ethical and practical considerations. In tandem with animal rights and environmental su...
Wildlife populations are plummeting worldwide and captivity, of at least some, species is increasingly being challenged from an ethical perspective. When captivity serves human entertainment, poor treatment as well as unequal power-relationships are problematic. Particularly for wildlife ecotourism then, we ask: is the future virtual? Taking a post...
General public attitudes to key animal welfare issues
Our perceptions shape our intentions, our motivations, our behavior, and in doing so, our reality. In this age of the Anthropocene, our perceptions also impact the lives and welfare of other animals. One of the key principles associated with the success of international animal welfare initiatives is an understanding of local audiences and contexts....
Iceland has experienced rapid increases in tourism in recent years. This growth earns economic applause, but can come at considerable environmental cost. As Iceland’s unique environment is a drawcard for many tourists, careful management of destinations to ensure a sustainable environment is critical. The Icelandic Government is aware of the need f...
This conceptual paper develops a framework that addresses the need to manage human-wildlife interactions in Arctic settings to ensure positive outcomes for wildlife, local people, and visitors. We argue that managers tasked with meeting these needs should do so in a cultural context where ethical frameworks are guided by sustainable and responsible...
Sustainability research in tourism increasingly focuses on social issues such as the relationship between resident quality of life and community resilience through adaptive capacity. This study of resident and tourism relations in Iceland contributes to this growing body of literature. The research was supported by the Icelandic Tourist Board to me...
Preslaughter stunning; the induction of unconsciousness and insensibility of animals prior to slaughter, is an important process for the welfare of livestock. The application of stunning is required by legislation in some countries, and rarely practised in others. In order to effectively advocate the implementation of stunning in the regions that d...
This paper examines visitor and tourism operator perspectives of a recreation destination in the face of competing land use from the potential industrial development of a hydroelectric power plant. Questionnaires and interviews were employed to discover (i) how and why the area is used for recreational activities by both Icelanders and foreigners,...
Whether captive or non-captive, consumptive or non-consumptive, targeted or non-targeted, guided or non-guided, wildlife tourism activities have traditionally been dominated by an anthropocentric worldview that recognizes wildlife only for its extrinsic value. This chapter argues that the advent of the Anthropocene provides an opportunity for human...
Seal watching as a form of wildlife tourism is becoming increasingly popular worldwide. Behavioral changes caused by the presence of tourists could lead to negative consequences for seal welfare and may affect reproduction and survival. Therefore, managing seal watching activities to ensure future protection and conservation is important. Codes of...
The effectiveness of interpretive signage as a means of modifying visitor behaviour to reduce negative impacts on wildlife was tested empirically at a seal watching site on Vatnsnes peninsula in North West Iceland. From July to September 2014, the actions of 2440 visitors were observed and their behaviour recorded. To test the importance of how int...
Managing apex predators has become increasingly challenging as their roles in food webs evolve according to interactions with humans, changing societal influences, and expectations. Human engagement with these species is complex and ancient: they have been seen as pests, nuisances and threats; they have instilled fear, concern and even hatred; and...
Helstu niðurstöður
Í stefnumótun allra þeirra sveitarfélaga, sem rannsóknin fór fram í, er ferðaþjónustan talin mikilvæg
fyrir þróun atvinnulífs og byggðar. Athuganir og viðtöl benda þó til að margt sé enn óunnið í skipulagi
og stefnumótun fyrir þéttbýlisstaði þannig að nýting heimafólks og ferðaþjónustunnar/ferðafólks á
hinu opinbera rými gangi sn...
http://www.channelviewpublications.com/display.asp?isb=9781845415037
Recent neo-liberal policy frameworks in Australia advocate economic development opportunities for Aboriginal Australians as a viable strategy to redress the marginalisation and social disadvantage that appear to characterise many Aboriginal communities. In New South Wales (NSW), Aboriginal peoples are currently negotiating with industry for the cha...
Wildlife tourism in Iceland
Visitors to Iceland come in search of unique nature-based experiences. Known as a land of geysers,
volcanoes and glaciers, Iceland is also home to interesting species of wildlife that add significantly
to the attraction of the country. In 2013 tourism for the first time became the largest export sector in
Iceland, taking...
This paper provides an environmental sustainability perspective on contemporary cave management issues in Australia through examination of Australia's most prominent tourist cave attraction, Jenolan Caves. Five key issues are discussed: the administration and funding of the Jenolan Caves Karst Conservation Reserve; the extent of baseline data avail...
Wildlife tourism has growing global appeal, and the management of encounters between tourists and wildlife is a major issue for the tourism industry and management agencies. Blending theory and methods from the fields of anthropology, tourism and environmental sciences, this study employs a lens of social constructionism to understanding issues per...
This chapter examines the impact of tourism on the dingoes of Fraser Island, and the aspirations of tourists in this nature-based tourism setting. As the uneasy relationship between wildlife and people on the island is explored, the crucial role of managers in this setting is highlighted. The case study investigates how management choices are made...
The management of wildlife tourism has been dominated by ideologies informed by western colonialism and its values of nature. These ideologies, made transparent through communicative and interpretative discourses, influence the way management policies and practices are devised and enacted. The inherent scientific and utilitarian views are supported...
Wildlife management is based on a range of assumptions about wildlife and expectations about nature. As such, it can be seen as the result of the process of social construction. To ensure the validity and effectiveness of wildlife management, it is necessary to consider the constructions underlying wildlife management and perpetuated through manage...
Using Fraser Island in Queensland and Penguin Island in Western Australia as study areas, this paper examines changing management policies and practices with regards to human-animal interactions in wildlife tourism settings. In particular, the shifting relationships between people and dingoes, and between people and penguins, are explored in these...
As tourism continues to expand across the world, in terms not only of tourist
numbers but also of the types and forms the phenomenon assumes, so, too, do
its global importance and impact increase. Concurrently, the potential for the
anthropological study of tourism grows. This paper discusses the relationship
between anthropology and tourism in bot...
This chapter examines the wildlife tourism stakeholders who constitute the host
community. The chapter explores impacts of the host community on wildlife tourism,
and of wildlife tourism on the host community, and the manner in which such impacts
are managed. Of particular interest is the degree and type of involvement of hosts in
wildlife tourism,...
A more upmarket tourist operation on Beqa is the subject of a chapter by Georgette Leah Burns. In contrast to the Ovalau operation, the Marlin Bay Resort on Beqa is owned by an American, so this is more a study of “indigenous response” to a foreign-owned operation than of community-based tourism. The Marlin Bay operation does make some claims to in...