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Island Studies Journal, 14(2), November 2019, pages 115-136

such as Malta and Pantelleria, on which the ecotours in this study resulted in participants
complaining about the need to constantly use transport and move from one place to another.
Habitat fragmentation in the context of ecotourism is of concern on such small islands.
Whereas ecotourism has been regarded as a vehicle to support ecological conservation and local
communities (Shoo & Songorwa, 2013), there have been concerns that the potential arrival of
more tourists to such small sites, which are already under intense pressure, will aggravate the
situation or worsen the ecotourism potential. This is because ecotourism does not thrive in
destinations that become so popular that they end up destroying the very environment that
should be protected on the basis of the ecotourism principles (Goeldner & Brent Ritchie, 2009).
Site management, supported through income from related ecotourism activities, is thus
crucial. Site management should involve the establishment of zoning (limiting activities
depending on the zone), the introduction of entrance fees, and implementation of carrying
capacities, measures that are already implemented or currently being considered on some islands
in the study area, including in MPAs and coastal areas, as a means of limiting the number of
tourists and controlling possible negative impacts.

Extension of protected areas is needed to mitigate habitat fragmentation
In the case of larger islands with fragmented ecotourism venues, such as Pantelleria and Malta,
the addition and extension of protected areas has been proposed, yet this has raised concerns
about negative socioeconomic impacts. It is interesting to note that, once faced with the option
between extension of the protected areas and the status quo, authorities in Pantelleria opted to
create a National Park, despite resistance from the local community, especially from viticulturists
who feared that the introduction of restrictions would limit restoration of abandoned land and
impact their trade. This is unsurprising, given that viticulture is a major – even if declining –
economic activity on the islands. Such resistance to protection reflects a general response to any
increase in protected areas on islands under Italian jurisdiction. In fact, this issue has also been
faced in the Aegadian Islands, where the decision to establish a reserve had to be reversed by the
regional tribunal following appeals by the local community. This was accepted on the grounds
that the responsible authorities had failed to take into account locals’ interests (Giambrone,
2003). There has also been resistance to the institution of the MPA on account of the
importance of inshore fishing in the Aegadian Islands, with fishermen and other resource users
being concerned about the impact of possible restrictions on their hobbies and livelihoods.
Unlike the situation on Pantelleria, authorities in Malta opted to designate land that is regarded
as derelict as development and regeneration zones, including land adjacent to existent protected
areas. Environmental conflicts due to development are quite common in Malta (Briguglio, 2015;
Boissevain & Gatt, 2011), where the drive has been to extend marine sites rather than terrestrial
sites. Government commitments have been made to increase MPAs in order to protect
important habitats (Muscat, 2017), and additional protected areas were designated in May 2018
(MESDC, 2018). This focus of preservation of the marine environment is likely because Malta’s
land area is quite limited whereas its marine area is relatively extensive. Furthermore, interests
in marine areas tend to be lower compared to terrestrial areas, regarding which the construction
lobby plays a crucial role in shaping the policies of successive governments.
The success of ecotourism in the study area also faces challenges in gaining acceptance
from the local community. This is because ecotourism has the potential to negatively impact

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