By Bill and Donna Goodwin (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #180) on Monday, May 8, 2006 - 7:13 pm: |
[Moderators - note sure if this is the best section for this - we'll leave that up to you.]
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By Debbie Babcock (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3340) on Monday, May 8, 2006 - 9:59 pm: |
Hi Bill and Donna, Yes, I feel your pain in seeing that. I have seen far too many such things in the past two years as well in different locations, one really burns in my mind to this day. We all went to the yellow hut by the airport for a snorkel and there was this guy, not from Bonaire he said, but he was line fishing right there and using BLEACH to kill the fish! My son got so upset, we had to leave, I said something and he claimed he did not know it was illegal on Bonaire, but a few days later we go back and he is still there fishing, no bleach this time and we ran into Ms. Caren and she said what he was doing was illegal and she would report him to the right officials. I say he was there for about a week off and on after that. So, yes, I do know how you felt. The little fish he had were so little and he even had a little octopus to boot! I have reported such things to the right officials in the past and they say the local fisherman who have lived on island many, many years have the right to fish, but not on the reef, supposed to be on the outside of the reef. Not sure if the officials really enforce much of that or not. I am not on island full time and I really don't know where and where not is o.k. and where is o.k. for such fishing. The officials I spoke to said it is their only ways of supporting themselves, so they allow it at certain places. I was under the impression that grouper was flown in and not eaten from the local waters of Bonaire for those places that serve grouper. I think that the local fisherman sell their catches at Rincon as some of the fisherman have told me that I spoke to. You see fishing all the time near time right from the pier north of town till it gets dark. Hand line fishing, that is. It must be legal to hand line fish, but not net fish? There are so many levels of ways to fish, there must be some regulations somewhere, but I have never seen them, so really cannot comment except what I have witnessed personally.
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By Cynde (Moderator) (Moderator - Post #244) on Monday, May 8, 2006 - 11:42 pm: |
Bill and Donna. I don't know what the rules are, but I would contact the director of STINAPA, Elsmarie Buekenboom, E-mail Address:
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By seb (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2790) on Tuesday, May 9, 2006 - 9:01 am: |
There is a phone number on your Park tag that is a real good start, we've always gotten a quick response the several times we've called in to complain about rule breakers.
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By Tom (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3220) on Tuesday, May 9, 2006 - 9:24 am: |
Folks, please see:
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By Cynde (Moderator) (Moderator - Post #246) on Tuesday, May 9, 2006 - 9:37 am: |
Thanks Tom. I've read that before but it really doesn't address someone catching a bunch of fish and selling it. I assume that is considered "commercial" and would require a special license? They also state that:
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By Debbie Babcock (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3341) on Tuesday, May 9, 2006 - 9:44 am: |
Thanks, Seb and Tom! Very interesting, but I am still wondering if those rules are "just" for the park section of the island or for the south side and other areas I have seen fishing. Guess I could email them for further information so I know for future reference. I did know about the salt pans rules. Great info on those sites!
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By Bruce Wallace (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #162) on Tuesday, May 9, 2006 - 3:07 pm: |
Bill and Donna. It sounds like a Bonairean trying to provide for his family to me. He has his family there with him trying to eke out a living on a fairly poor island. It's upsetting to think that he may be fishing right there in the surf zone of Karpata or elsewhere, and it may be illegal but,,,,. If we (divers) don't buy the fish at Karpata, maybe they'll go away? There used to be a small market at Karpata that sold drinks and food and was not profitable so ,it closed. I hope the officials in Bonaire can remedy such behavior but, as a visitor I can only express concern, not solutions. It's their island. It would be nice to have something (on a smaller scale) similar to the Pink Bus that was used at the southern dive sites to provide refreshments and food and security to those dive sites. Not much profit there either. Flow with the tide.
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By Jerry Gauron (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #599) on Tuesday, May 9, 2006 - 3:51 pm: |
Bruce, well put.
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By Jack Chalk - Habitat - STINAPA - BONHATA (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #230) on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 9:18 am: |
I think we all need to take a step back and look at this situation from a different perspective. While I too, agree with Bill and Donna on their decision not to buy the fish, what right do we have to condemn a local person trying to provide for his family the best way he knows how. I have lived here for 18 years and at times I question the validity of over fishing, spearfishing and whatnot of depleting the stocks. Spearfishing was banned over 25 years ago on Bonaire and though there was some occasional poaching that did occur, there was none to the extent that would have "wiped out" a population and yet there are still no large groupers on the island to speak of. Does it take 25 years for a grouper to grow to 5, 10, 15, 25 lbs or larger? How many times have you seen grouper on the menu at a local restaurant?Very seldom...you mostly see tuna, wahoo, snapper and the occasional baracuda or smoked marlin.
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By Debbie Babcock (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3349) on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 9:30 am: |
Thanks, Jack for putting things in the "right" perspective. You do have a way with words! :<)
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By Cynde (Moderator) (Moderator - Post #250) on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 10:18 am: |
Thanks Jack I also received a few emails stating that what they were doing was not illegal I am glad that Bill and Donna brought this up because once again, it lead to learning and a healthy discussion
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By Bill and Donna Goodwin (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #181) on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 10:21 am: |
Ah, Jack - thank you. You are always the voice of reason. I anticipated your words because, well, because we know you are fair-minded. Plus you really have a handle on the place, especially the cultural values.
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By Glen Reem (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2425) on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 11:05 am: |
Spearfishing is illegal on Bonaire as noted above, for those of you who may not know, .
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By Vince DePietro (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #349) on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 1:13 pm: |
Read the article..Makes you wonder what is wrong with some people! If someone wants to catch fish for personal consumption (or sale), do it in a sporting way, with a rod & reel. I think the punishment should be mandatory time doing conservation and clean up work on the island for the next 90 days plus a fine. I'd like to know what type of punishment they eventually receive.
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By Jeanine Missing Bonaire (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2692) on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 1:20 pm: |
Hi all! Having just returned from Bonaire and having been to the food place at Karpata, I wanted to chime in for a moment. When I first found the food stand, I did not link it to this post. I for some reason had it in my mind that this post referred to Hill Top (Oil Slick), not Karpata. We did eat at this stand more than once. He never offered us fish. He only sells hotdogs and chicken nuggets. I'm not sure if the message got to him that divers don't want graysbys, if I have the wrong location (this one is right at the entrance for diving Karpata, or what happened exactly. However, if this is the stand at the entrance to Karpata, the man was very friendly (actually rescued a female diver who tried exiting the wrong way), watches the cars while divers are out, and makes the best darn hotdogs on the island. Again...no fish.
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By Bill and Donna Goodwin (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #196) on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 1:32 pm: |
Jeanine... We did indeed have that very nice and friendly fellow at the bright-colored Karpata stand offer us whole gutted/scaled coneys and graysbys (he named them by name and when I looked at them in the tub, the skin remaining on their heads bore out the accuracy of what his identifications. We are gratified to hear he does not (ever, hopefully) offer these fish now.
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By Jeanine Missing Bonaire (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2693) on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 1:49 pm: |
Thanks for the quick reply. I really have mixed feelings now. I sent a lot of people to that stand because if you are up north you don't have many options and he is very fast and they really are the best darn hotdogs I have ever tasted. I'm sorry to hear that he did offer the fish. I am glad that he didn't offer them to us. Hopefully he is done with that practice.
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By Vince DePietro (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #352) on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 4:41 pm: |
3 cheers for hot dogs & chicken nuggets at Karpata.
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