“ Is not this unfortunate situation very much in line with the neo-liberal ideology largely adopted by and dictating Tonga, knowingly or unknowingly, where its chief mode of economy is merely freely yet wildly left for determination by the mercy of the so-called inherent rationality of the market?
Is not this unfortunate situation a "distress" call (signalling a type of "SOS") for the whale watching - whale swimming as a truly thriving local industry to be regulated as opposed to it being deregulated? But how can it ever be regulated when it is in direct conflict with neo-liberalism, where fierce competition as a rule supremely rules, thereby leaving the jungle-driven might-is-right and survival-of-the-fittest as the only norms?
There then arises a fundamental question, How has Tonga effectively managed this thriving local industry, involving whale watching - whale swimming as a local significant (though seasonal) resource? This is especially but sadly so in view of Tonga as a strictly consumer (service)-led rather than a producer (creative, innovative)-based economy.
Tonga badly needs to have a total control of this local resource, which strictly requires a sense of both creativity and innovation for its production as a truly quality product for trade and exchange on the global market. Tonga also badly needs the high level of knowledge and skills, technology and capital that can be readily made to be equal to the task.
But can this be made real or only imaginary? The answer is highly dependent on the depth of the so-called "dependency mentality," deeply but harmly entrenched in the psyche and life of people on all levels of society and across social contexts. A long-term and effective solution can be found in education but its undue overemphasis on technical and vocational over critical and classical education has the greater tendency of immediately hindering and finally erasing all hopes. ”