THE ISLAND OF BONAIRE ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO
BONAIRE NATIONAL MARINE PARK FEE SYSTEM
- New Nature Fee to be Introduced on April 1, 2005; Includes Entrance to Bonaire National Marine Park and Washington-Slagbaai National Park -

Kralendijk, Bonaire – (January 18, 2005) –In order to continue its important work and institute new programs that will preserve Bonaire’s environment above and below the water, STINAPA Bonaire, the non-governmental, not-for-profit organization that oversees the Bonaire National Marine Park (BNMP) and Washington-Slagbaai National Park has proposed a restructuring of the BNMP Fee, collected annually from divers.
For the past ten years, scuba divers have been charged a $10.00 per year Marine Park Fee to dive the pristine reefs surrounding Bonaire, while snorkelers and others using the waters surrounding Bonaire were invited to donate funds. The funds collected from this fee have been used solely for the management of the BNMP and activities such as research, monitoring, law enforcement and education. Additionally visitors entering Washington-Slagbaai National Park have been charged a $10.00 entrance fee (per visit). The BNMP and Washington-Slagbaai National Park have also received many generous donations and grants which have gone to funding the Parks’ management, activities and research.
In order for STINAPA Bonaire to continue to maintain and expand its services and conserve the precious natural resources it oversees which also include Klein Bonaire, Lac Bay and the cave system at Barcadera, the organization must not only implement a more broad-based funding program to generate increased revenue, but also become self-sustainable, that is not dependent on donations and grants. With these goals in mind extensive discussions with stakeholders, the Government and others connected with nature conservation were held and a consensus was reached that the way the BNMP and Washington-Slagbaai National Park fees are collected must change. Hence the idea of a Nature Fee was conceived.
The new Nature Fee will be introduced on April 1, 2005. Beginning this day all scuba divers entering the BNMP will pay a fee of $25.00 per year. Divers will continue to receive the coveted BNMP Tag to wear proudly on their equipment to show they care about protecting our coral reefs. All others who use the waters of the BNMP including snorkelers, windsurfers, kayakers, sport fishermen, kite boarders, etc., will be charged a Nature Fee of $10.00 per year. They will also receive a specially designed tag similar to the current BNMP Tag indicating their support for nature preservation.
In addition to being allowed to enjoy the Marine Park for a period of one year, all persons who pay the Nature Fee (both divers and other users) and show their tag along with their printed receipt will receive complimentary admission to Washington-Slagbaai National Park throughout the year their tag is valid.
Funds collected from the Nature Fee will continue to be for research, monitoring, education, law enforcement, information distribution and maintenance of the areas STINAPA Bonaire oversees. The new Nature Fee Tags will be available for purchase beginning April 1, 2005 not only at dive operations, as has been the practice in the past, but also at hotels, resorts, windsurfing operations, sport fishing charter boats, sail/snorkel/water taxi operations, marinas and other water sports operations in Bonaire.
“On behalf of the entire population of Bonaire, STINAPA Bonaire would like to thank the many thousands of visitors who care about our natural resources and have shown their willingness to contribute to the professional management of those resources by purchasing tags in the past,” said Jack Chalk, President of STINAPA Bonaire. “We hope that you will continue to visit Bonaire and help us protect our fragile resources so that not only you will be able to continue to enjoy them, but so that future generations will also be able to see why Bonaire is known not only as a ‘Divers Paradise,’ but also as a ‘Nature Paradise.’”
Charged by the Island Government to manage the natural resources of the island STINAPA Bonaire, a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization, is run by a board of dedicated local professionals who donate their time to the conservation of Bonaire's natural surroundings both above and below the water. Recently the organization underwent a three-year modernization and upgrading of its institutional structure.
For more information on STINAPA Bonaire call 011-599-717-8444, email info@stinapa.org or visit www.stinapa.org.
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Thanks Seb. I, for one, have no problem supporting this new fee structure.

Will we see reef police keeping the divers off the reef, especially, us, the photographers? Hopefully,it will save the reef. Sue

I read about this in the Bonaire E-ZNews last week. I also think it's good that they will collect money from others that use the waters around Bonaire, not just the divers. They too have an impact (although not as much as divers). I see it as a good cause...having watched the sea life around Catalina Island change dramatically in the last 5 years from divers and fishing, I hope someday the conservation efforts on the island come up with a solution for us.

Seems such a small price to pay for everything that is accomplished.

Still a good value since it includes entry into the park.

Wish there was another fee that could be paid to support the local police or other organization in better protecting the dive site parking areas.

sorry, but I disagree on this issue... this is a 150% increase in a tax on visitors for a cause that on the surface appears honorable... in all the trips I've made to Bonaire, I've failed to see any benefit other than fresh paint on the stones...ooops, I did see the new ladder at Oil Slick (after 18 yrs)...I've never seen signs of enforcement, no reef police, no education (unless you are talking about the half page blurb that is distributed when you buy your annual tag)...I've never seen dive sites cleaned up (except by the volunteer groups) and there certainly is NO security protection at the dive sites

I could support this tax if there were measures of performance that the agency had to meet...or even a budget...as such, basically it is a case of "give us the money and trust us"...I don't confuse promises with accomplishments...although STINPATA is reported to be a private agency, in fact it appears to function as a representative of the government...is their budget open for public review? How much money was collected in each of the last 3 years from the tags? How was this money actually spent? (not just to say it was spent on upkeep of the marine park) What different things does STINPATA propose to do with the 150% increase in the tax rate. The actual cash intake will definately exceed the 150% tax rate since the tax is now being expanded to include all the other users of the parks.

I am also against the tax being merged to support Washington Park. When visitors come to Florida in the U.S., they don't get a pass to go to Yellowstone or Smithsonian...if there arent enough people paying fees to visit Washington Park, perhaps it should be privatized.

Greg, We can only hope for the best.

I tend to agree with Gregg - I have seen very little evidence of what the money is being spent on. I've never even been checked in 50 odd dives to see whether I am wearing the tag. I too would like to see an open book so we could see what the cash is being spent on - it must be a fairly substantial sum. I have no problem paying is I can see results - what exactly are they doing about things like turtle conservation, preventing fisherman hoiking out sharks etc etc. Pertsonally on my second trip I came to the view that the marine environment on the island is under increasing pressure - and STINAPA have to be seen to be not only collecting cash but also to be acting as the chief guarantour of that environment. And yet I have never even seen a STINAPA employee!

Why don't you email them and ask them. It looks like they don't have very many employees to begin with (at least when they last updated their site a couple years ago)...I also know that when their "roving" laptop died a few months ago they did not have the funds to replace it. I'm not sure exactly how much of the government is involved with them...

http://www.bonairenature.com/stinapa/stinapa.html

I love dealing with folks you can count on.
Ten bucks for at least the last ten years for a tag. Soon it will be more. Some say yay, some say nay, the Beatles say hey,hey, hey. Come what may, you'll still have to pay to play or stay away.
I've seem BMP rangers, talked to them many a time on the phone, and ratted out spearfishermen. Heck, I've let my wife drive off in a truck with a ranger.

Lets see....the STINPATA is run by a board of local business people (presumably volunteers), very few employees, not enough money to replace a laptop when it died, no appreciable improvements (except Oil Slick)... Where has the money gone from the last 15+ years (?) of the tags? Jack Chalk monitors this site, perhaps he will offer comments that would muster support for this monumental increase in the tax. What is this increase giving back to the visitors?

This subject was debated last year as related to the increase in crime at the dive sites...I didn't see anything in the above announcement that addresses the largest problem facing the diving visitors to Bonaire. Lets put things in perspective...divers don't pollute the water...a few divers may step on the coral (this tax doesn't prevent that)...divers don't kill the fish, divers don't overfish the waters around Bonaire

there is always hope...however, government (or arms thereof) and useful use of money doesn't usually go hand in hand...especially if there isnt accountability from the beginning..if they can't explain how they spent the previously collected money, do you expect them to account for the future amount (which will double)

I will continue to come to Bonaire to enjoy all the things that we have learned to love...however, don't try to convince me that doubling/tripling the taxes is a good thing that will make things better...that dog don't hunt

I don't mind paying the fee as a snorkeler. Actually, as a snorkeler it is in our favor as we tend to visit the Park up north at least twice per visit, too.

We have always purchased dive tags even though we are snorkelers so there is no change for us other than we no longer have to pay the fee to enter the Park, too.

Heck, we might even still want to pay the fee to enter the Park so there is still revenue coming in that way, too....we shall see.

Sorry, Gregg....we can't agree on everything...only most things! LOL. Carole

Actually, It appears Jack Chalk has already provided his input in his Post #200 under Everything Else Bonaire: $25.00 Dive Tags.

Link to that archived thread is here:

http://www.oldbonairetalk.com/newsgroup/messages/27/124542.html

That was 14 months ago...

Jake

Ha! Jake, you beat me to it! (the link ;-)

Jake,

tks for the link...doesn't sound like the issues have changed much...Stinpata got the 250% increase in funding without any accountability...funds may still be siphoned off to other Antilles sites

all divers are funding Washington Park

no additional security

claims that the organization is not a government organization...although chartered by the government...sounds like slick Willy vocabulary

this could be U.S. politics...the liberals are upon us

Dear Greg et. al.,

I am currently in Washington D.C. for business...and no, I am not here to "siphon off STINAPA funds to the U.S.Government" ;-).

While you may not have had the pleasure of meeting members of our staff, I can assure you that they are out every day of the week, patroling, repairing moorings, monitoring reef condition, monitoring shoreline construction projects to insure they are not causing direct damage to the reef nor potential future damage to the reef. They are also assisting with ongoing research projects on our reefs and all in all have a pretty busy day every day.

The funds collected go to the above mentioned areas of responsibility and beyond. Some others to mention would be the maintenance of vehicles, boats and other equipment needed to conduct these activities, maintenance and overhead of a full time office and admintistrative staff. We also have a full time Education Coordinator that works on an ongoing basis with the children of Bonaire instilling in them the need to protect their environment as well as training our school teachers in how to present environmental topics to their students.

Our rangers have enforced the Marine Environment Ordinance on many occassions and fines have been assessed in some of these instances. One of the areas where the additional funds will go will be to formally train our rangers and certify them with full police powers in order that they may better and more efficiently enforce Nature and Environmental Ordinances of the island.

Once this is accomplished, we will then be able to legally enforce other laws as well, such as security of dive sites, though that is not our realm of responsibility, we will be eager to assist the Police Department in this area.

Every person that arrives on the island has a direct influence on the condition of our reef. How, you may ask? Every time you flush your toilet...every time your towels and sheets in your rooms are washed...every time you drive a car that leaks oil onto the roadway...and many, many other ways.

We need funds to be able to assist the government in tackling these and other important issues that relate directly to the health of our island nature and environment.

We work closely with other nature related organizations on the island such as the Turtle Club, Aliansa and others, yet the main task of protecting and insuring sustainable use of our natural resources lies with STINAPA. This is not an inexpensive undertaking in any way.

We have been most fortunate in the past 35 years in that grant funding was abundant and readily forthcoming, however those times have changed drastically in the past several years as anyone involved with grant funding would surely be able to attest to.

I would ask that you do a thorough investigation of other destinations and the fees they charge and the results obtained and then compare to Bonaire. I think the results of such an investigation would be somewhat surprising to you.

I would like to personally invite you to visit our Headquarters at Barcadera on your next visit to the island and meet our Director, Education Coordinator and other members of our excellent staff. As to the openness of where our funding goes...I will cetainly bring this up at the next Board of Directors meeting and see no reason why our budget could not be published for all to see.

I am no longer the President of STINAPA Bonaire, however I am still a member of the Board of Directors and will pass on your comments to the full Board. I would also be happy to discuss this further with you in person on your next visit if you wish. I'm pretty easy to find.

Thank you for your comments and concerns and also for supporting Bonaire in the past and hope that you will continue to do so in the future.

Sincerely,
Jack Chalk
Member, Board of Directors
STINAPA Bonaire

Jack: Your efforts have my support.

Jack, I was hoping you would see this and give everyone the information needed to support the increase. STINAPA does a great job, with limited funds and staff. Like I said, I only wish we had a program off Catalina Island. They are beginning to install moorings at some sites, but we have a long way to go.

I sincerely hope that those that doubt the increase is going to a good cause, will look up the offices the next time they are on island, and meet some of the staff.

We get dinged often in life, and often we have no idea EXACTLY where the money is going (i.e. taxes in the US). At least when I donate to something on Bonaire (or in this case, increase in the tag fees) I know it's going to the right place.

And Jack, thank you also, not only for such an informative response, but such a courteous and patient response to a question that betrayed a knee-jerk negative reaction. I think it is one thing to be curious about what is being done, but another to assume or suggest that nothing (or worse) is being done. It actually doesn't take much research or involvement to get a sense of what STINAPA is accomplishing. STINAPA's office is open, there is a lot of printed information available, and there are staff members around eager to share their mission, strategy and operations.

I've had the pleasure to have met several of the Park Rangers (just lucky I guess). I've waved as rangers drive by and 'beep' hi while I'm gearing up at some of the northern sites.
I've never been 'tagged' as my STINAPA tag is always prominently displayed on my BC.

If you don't feel comfortable paying the $25 fee, donate a truck instead. Give a gift certificate for a year's worth of gas. Buy a boat. How about just paying for the maintenance of all the motors on the vehicles and boat engines? Too steep? Okay, how about STINAPA pays for all that stuff (and more!) and charges divers $25. Seems fair to me.

Mare

The new fees are fine by me, I can see that it pays to look after the reef and park. I do think that U/W cameras should have a tag too - that way it could be revoked if the diver is abusing the reef.

I only snorkel and do not dive and have always bought a tag to support STINAPA and will gladly continue to do so. Gregg,you yourself are a long time visitor to Bonaire and I don't understand what you expect to have given back to you as a visitor. Hasn't Bonaire's beauty and ease of diving given you enough already?

Jack, thanks for weighing in on this thread. Maybe one of the whiners will take you up on your offer, since they are so crazy to figure out where their lousy $25 goes that they think they should see your books. What unmitigated gall!
No matter where you go, there is always some uninformed knee jerk with an axe to grind, whining about money and liberals and Clinton. If a $25 park fee will keep those people home, please, raise it to $50.

Jack,

I have no problem with the increase, I think you guys are doing a great job on Bonaire and I think it is a small price to pay considering all the work that has to be done in order to maintain Bonaire's reef and enviroment. I commend you on all your past and future projects. There are a lot of good people on this site who really understand all the hard work you do for Bonaire. Keep up the good work. Your increase will not stop me from coming to your beautiful island.

Never been to the park, but EVERYTHING costs more than it did in 1995, at least it does here in Chicago.

If an extra $15 per person is going to decide whether or not you can afford go on vacation, I'd submit that you can't afford to go on vacation. Save your money and stay home. $25 won't even fill the tank on my minivan.

And I don't care WHAT they do with the money they collect. Any more than I care that buying drinks on the waterfront costs more than drinking at home, they charge me extra for my plane ticket to pay for security silliness, or they charge me a fee just to LEAVE the island.

I KNOW I've left a heck of a lot more at a local casino than the Marine Park tag costs.

Diving and dive vacations are EXPENSIVE. So are ALL vacations and any restaurant dining. What else is new? Can my present budget afford to visit Bonaire? No, and that's why my last trip was in 2002. LOL Does this increase factor in? Of course not. My first trip to Bon cost me over a $100 just to park near O'Hare airport for the week. If the parking lot raised it's fee by $15 would I cancel my trip? Not bloody likely.

Is a trip to Bonaire worth it? Every penny!

Randy

Come to the UK $100 won't fill my tank.

As the fees help maintain the reef and protect the sealife then it is $$$ well spent.

A few years ago, we saw them move an old mooring and install and new one. We have been checked at dive sites - my tag isn't easy to see. We were 'talked to' because of ALL the years of tags my husband had on his BC - ranger wanted to know more about why we visit Bonaire that often. We have seen them go after spearfishermen. We have seen them look after turtles. They have replaced ropes (wires) on moorings. So, yes they have been working to make your diving better in Bonaire.
Yes, I would like them to be more involved in the shore dive crime and maybe this would be the time for that with the increase in fees. The park just seems to me to be an extention of the Underwater park all around the island and certainly needs support. But I wish there was some way to get the 'tags' than the day you get there because sometimes it ends up being the day after....

I agree on the raise of the fees. I know the rangers do a great job on the mooring lines, tracing down spear fisherman and other maintenance work. So next time I have to buy a new Tag, I'm more than happy to pay the 25 bucks.

When I did one week trips, the fee cost $10 a week. Now I'm staying for a month and the fee is down to $6.50 a week! The easy answer is to stay longer!

I like your approach the best, Ron! Carole

Tag question?
Will divers get both tags; so they don't need to take the "dive" tag off their BC to go snorkle/windsurf/visit National Park/swim/etc"?
It would definitely be a nuisance to wear a BC to enter the park or go windsurfing!

Jack,

This is great news, and once again you've handled the snide and insulting comments and innuendos with good grace and aplomb. You know Geoffrey and I have always said we would be willing to pay more for the chance to dive in Bonaire's Marine Park, and now it will get us into Washington-Slagbaai too. Wonderful!

Chet, when you get your tag for your BC, you also get a paper receipt. Hopefully that will do just fine.
Mare

For visible effort, STINAPA Education program has definitely been stepped up a notch in the local schools. My children have been bringing home STINAPA information about the sea turtles including information about protecting them and the laws on Bonaire. They are working to educate the children that eating the turtles and their eggs is wrong despite this being a common practice in the history of Bonaire. My daughter was horrified to learn that some of her classmates had eaten turtle eggs. For anybody that has children, you know how your children can bring that information home and tell it to the parents straight out - don't smoke, fire alarms, buckle up, recycling, and on Bonaire - don't eat the turtles! Go get 'em STINAPA. I hope to see programs on the Conch, the Lora, desert habitat, as well as fishing and reef protection.

Quoting from Jack's older discussion post "however STINAPA Bonaire also believes that any increase in the fee must include the expansion to all users who derive benefit and enjoyment from a professionally and well managed marine park and not just a certain group of users. "

Does this mean fisherman pay a fee too? What about the guys snorkling with a floating cooler catching lobsters and conch? Do they have to pay too?

I would hope so.

Gregg. I could not disagree with you more! The government has nothing to do with STINAPA and they are charged with protecting all of the natural areas. Jack makes the case very well and I would love to be a fly on the wall when you do meet him to discuss your concerns. I think Elsmare should also be at the meeting....

What's next?

A $5 fee to "look" at the ocean. Each viewer will be given a BNMP tag that signifies that they too care about the Marine Park. The tag designed by a local Bonairian is crafted in fine black coral harvested by local artisans and shaped in the figure internationally recognized by all: $

So a crusie ship visitor has to pay a $25 fee to spend a day diving in Bonaire? Next we'll have "required" dive guides for all BNMP managed sites.

I'm sure that the Marine Park mooring system has helped in the preceding 10+ years. As we've all seen NATURE often times could care less about Marine Park conservation and has caused much more reef destruction than would have the aggregate "conservation" has prevented.

Just another rape of the tourista's $$$$

Bob

Bob

You have a valid point hidden behind sarcasm. I don't know if this applies to day guests such as cruise passengers - having to pay the full fee, I do think you should have asked first though.

Does this apply to single day visiting cruise passengers who snorkel/dive?

Brian,

>> I do think you should have asked first though. <<

Point well taken.... so here's a question:

If I don't use a snorkel do I have to pay the fee?

Yes its just an incremental fee to a "good" organization, its small. So too would an increase in the departure tax, the sales tax, to lodging/hotel tax etc etc etc .... when programs can't sustain themselves its time to "expand" .... Jack says:

>> One of the areas where the additional funds will go will be to formally train our rangers and certify them with full police powers <<

You see by "increasing" their "scope" its easier to justify $$$ increases. Next year you'll see they need additional funds for radio equipment (ostensibly for better communication with the police), new uniforms, new equipment....this is just the game we as program administrators are faced with.

Jack correctly mentions that EVERYONE on Bonaire has an affect on the reef ... so why not add on a few dollars to the water bill, fuel tax, sewer assessments etal ... you see that in many cases those fees were also meant to support the island's resources .... including the reefs .... but that's "controlled" by someone else.

Jack is also correct in that all over the world other countries assess similar fees .... even in the US we are not immune to such. Does it make it right not to ask for accountability? Of course not.

Look at it for what it is ... an ever increasing spiral of additional fees that result in little additional gains and the creation of an ever-growing "overhead" that MUST be contantly "fed" er... I mean "supported".

Sure we'll pay it ... it doesn't mean we need to "embrace" it.

Bob

What about the Venezuelans that throw away their refridgerator in the water? We saw them doing that.

I have no problem supporting this new fee structure.

It beats me how anyone can be bothered by a $15 increase in a fee that has not changed in years when they are spending thousands on airfare, lodging,training, meals and car rental. End of rant. Mickey

Bob,

Us locals have to pay the same dive tag fees as you "touristas" (and no, we don't have any problem with that). You probably dive more on a single dive trip than many of us local divers do during a single year - on a per dive basis your tag is cheaper than ours.

If you want to have a beef with fees charged to tourists, take a look at the $5.50/night per person room tax - most places in the world (actually all the ones I can think of) charge a percentage of the hotel rate, which means more expensive places have a proportionately higher tax, meaning that bargain accommodations are more affordable - but not on Bonaire.

Under the current flat rate system, for a budget room, you can pay as much as 20-30% of your nightly fee in room tax, and as little as a few percent for expensive accommodations. Doesn't seem particularly fair (and no, STINAPA has nothing to do with room tax - it's a local government imposed tax - not sure what they do with the money).

To all:

In terms of STINAPA's accountability, they do issue an annual report, and unlike the government, which can spend well into the red, non-profit, non-governmental organizations like STINAPA need to stay out of the red - there's no cushion and no federal loan or bailout program.

STINAPA also brings in funding to continue to operate by charging annual mooring block fees (I know, because I write the check to pay the annual NAF 500 fee for the mooring block that the Bonaire ReefCam is mounted on), and charging visiting yachts a daily mooring fee (which has also just gone up, as I understand it).

STINAPA is in charge of the parks of Bonaire - that includes the Bonaire National Marine Park, Klein Bonaire, Lac Bay, and Washington National Park. Stewardship is not free, and in the past a number of projects to both study and preserve nature areas of the island, as well as vital education programs (e.g. educating local fisherman about conch life cycles and breeding sizes, as well as about the benefit of no-take zones) have failed due to lack of funding.

It's my hope that with increased funding STINAPA will be able to tackle these and other efforts and bring them to fruition.

Jake

Thanks for your input and information, Jake. I don't think the increase is out of line at all. I definitely feel we get more out of the Parks than we have to put "in" financially for the tags. I hope the projects you mentioned as well as any others they might develop will be successful with the increase in funds which will become available. Ayo. Carole

Question.....

We arrive on island March 22nd...pay 3 tags (one diver, one snorkeler and one snorkeler/resort diver. We leave island April 6th.

Do we pay $30.... then on April 1st pay $60 for a total of $90?

I forgot to mention that we travel to Bonaire the same time each year and pay for the non-required tags as support of Bonaire. So our '04 tags need to be renewed.

Also, as a snorkeler I've never displayed my tag. Will I be required to do so in the future and how, where, etc.? Who wants a dangling tag on their snorkel or mask?!!!

I e-mailed STINAPA to support the change to their fee structure. STINAPA should hear directly from those in favour, since I'm sure those opposed will waste no time with their detailed whinging about the unfairness of it all.

Linda and all others wondering about the extra charge. I've had contact with The marine Park manager about this question, and here is his reply:

... all tags purchased before April 1st are valid until December 31st, 2005 and you DON'T have to pay any difference. All the plus associate to the new price (for example entry to the WSNP) are available to anyone that can show a receipt and some ID card regardless when you purchase your tag.
The "pay and display" policy is still the same for divers, that means that they have to attach the tags to some part of equipment. We realize that this is not possible for the other users tags and we are thinking in a solution that allow watersport enthusiasts to change the tag easily for a snorkel set to a windsurf rig or a kayak.

I hope this will clear up a number of questions.

Martin

I also want to thank Jack Chalk for stepping up and responding to the questions I raised in a professional and courteous manner. Its not often a government representative will meet such an attack. I believe debate is healthy.

To those of you who wonder why I quibble over a measily $15; you have completely missed the point. The $15 is chicken feed compared to the total cost of a trip (I make 2-4 trips per year to Bonaire).

My issue is entirely philosophical. I am not in favor of seeing government agencies expand their roles under the auspices of good causes. I quibble over the fact an arm of the government (whether you like it or not, STINPATA is a rep of the government) has expanded its funding by 200-300% at the expense of the tourists who are already supporting Bonaire. At least with a government tax there is some oversight (voters). Ask any government agency and they will always tell you they need more $$ for their worthy causes. Unfortunately, they are the ones who determine the worthy causes.

I will probably stop and talk to Jack on my next visit. However, since our differences are philosophical, I don't see much opportunity for resolution. Hopefully we can have the conversation over a cold beer

Um, Gregg, small point of order...

Jack is NOT a government representative, and STINAPA is NOT a government organization regardless of your opinion on the matter - most of STINAPA's funding comes from grants and user fees and not governmental support. The board of STINAPA consists mostly of private sector individuals and as with all boards, sets the direction of the organization (including determining what worthy causes they have, and how to fund them). There's no voting by the populace for various STINAPA policies precisely because they are not governmental.

Jack is a member of the STINAPA board, he's on the board of BONHATA (the private section, non-government, tourism assocation), and he's the manager of Capt. Don's Habitat.

Oh, and he rides a Harley and has a fuzzier and bigger beard than you do ;-)

Jake

Here's the thing, if you prevent me from diving without a tag, you are in point of fact charging a tax. What are the ramifications of not buying a tag? Am I not allowed to dive, am I arrested or fined by the government or by an organization which apperently has no "official" basis. There are 3 of us going to Bonaire, we will pay $75 in park tags, $115 in room tax, $60 in airport tax, $40 in car tax and fees, I'm not sure about a meal tax or sale tax but it wouldn't surprise me if there were some of these as well. How about the mooring fee charged to dive operators, do you think they don't pass that fee onto us? If there are property taxes do you believe the motel operators don't pass them on as well? When you start talking about $200-300 in taxes or fees for one week its not small change for my family. This is money I won't have for other activities like a boat dive or dinners out. I'm sure Jack and the other officials working for STINAPA are good guys, thats not the point. If I were a STINAPA representative reading these posts I would think we didn't go far enough, we should have raised it to $50 and all Bonaire Talkers will be happy to pay it. Well thats fine, you should be able to support whatever causes you desire, I just don't want to have mandatory giving imposed on all. This is similar to what the UN would like to do, impose a tax on nations based upon their gross domestic product. This is not however the method the majority of Americans chose to follow. We are the most giving nation in the world, but we all like to give to the causes of our choice, out of our blessings and generosity, not tax or imposed fees.

It seems the majority of the posters on this site are wealthy and the spending of money comes easy to them. They say things like raise it to $50 to keep the riff raff home. Well I guess I'm one of the riff raff who does everything he can to provide his family with a vacation to paradise once every 1-2 years. When all is said and done I will have spent over $3000 to get us to paradise, 5% of our gross household domestic product. Obviously an extra $45 won't keep us home. If you think that is Gregg and my's concern you've missed the point.

An awful lot of words here about a 'few extra dollars that won't keep us home'.

Better Bonaire's reefs should go the way of the South Pacific????

We should just be happy that some interested non-government people (you would prefer a government agency???) on Bonaire take the needed interest in the long term (yes, I know, many or most have a vested interest in nature on Bonaire but they do it to our benefit.)

Ron,
This fee is NOT a tax. This is a protected marine park. National parks in the US and throughout the world charge fees. Commercial "parks" like Disneyworld et. al. charge fees (obviously not a natural wonder, but just making the point that when you CHOOSE to take part in a vacation activity you almost always have to pay). Many if not most parks/preserves/reserves charge fees for hiking, picnics, etc. The fees are simply necessary to maintain the parks -- it's really as simple as that. There's no big scam going on here; you are simply being charged a fee to use a protected marine park, and those fees are being used to maintain/protect that park.

While taxes are another story, and there can certainly be valid debate about who pays how much tax and what the government chooses to spend it on, the fact remains that travellers pay substantial taxes all around the world. Check out room tax and meal tax in major cities and almost all vacation locations in the US, for example, and you will see that Bonaire is not out of line with the rest of the world.

I do understand how increased costs make vacations more difficult for those on a limited budget, but I don't think that the STINAPA fee increase is anything other than a necessary action to continue to maintain and protect an incredible marine park. I also can't help but wonder if a family with limited income was to send a private letter/email to someone at STINAPA that it might be possible that something might be worked out. These are not evil government thieves, these are people who work for an organization whose mission is, apparently, a very noble one.

Ron,

The ramifications of not paying a user fee, as I understand it, is that you are not permitted to use the park. As Scott says, it is a park admittance fee.

Granted, it may be tough to enforce for snorkelers, but for divers all it takes is a bulletin to all the dive shops to not give you air. Tough to dive long with an empty tank.

In terms of the perceived extra "tax" matter, I travel a lot on business, and there are taxes upon taxes everywhere I go. In Dallas, for example, my hotel bill gets another 15% tacked on to it as a result of state, municipal, and "arena" taxes (I think 7, 6, and 2 percent respectively). Every airline ticket has taxes in the price. And for most destinations, the departure tax is built into the ticket price (for example, it's in tickets for departures from Curacao on American Airlines). The only reason departure tax is paid separately on Bonaire and not already included in your ticket is historical - a previous operator was including departure tax as part of ticket sales, but apparently keeping the departure tax instead of paying it to the airport authority (to the tune of very large sums). So, as a result they now collect the departure tax separately to make sure they get the money.

Finally, things like property taxes (or rent or mooring fees, etc.) payable by the businesses you patronize with your business, are all taken into account for by the prices said businesses charge you for their goods and services. Not to do so would mean they would go out of business, since their costs would be higher than their revenue. That's the same around the world - it's basic economics.

TANSTAAFL.

Jake

So a fee less than the cost of one boat dive, which gets you park entry and unlimited diving at, what, 40 odd dive sites, is considered really expensive to some folks? How about if the fee was tied to the price of oil,US inflation, or the cost of a US stamp? Show me another place where I can spend $225 and dive all day and night for for six days.

Good Heavens!

What the heck does TANSTAAFL mean? I had no idea so I looked it up:

TANSTAAFL /tan'stah-fl/ [acronym, from Robert Heinlein's classic "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress".] "There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"

I found that out here:
http://jargon.net/jargonfile/t/TANSTAAFL.html

Mare

We agree with Jake and Scott. How many people in the USA will pay as much as $50 a person to go to a theme park for just 1 day. All parks charge entry fees, some more some less but all do it. And we are not all wealthy most of us are just like you and work for a living and only go to Bonaire once every 1-2 years. We save our money until we have enough to go and relax. Every business pays taxes and passes that along to it's customers, you just don't see it because they are included in the prices listed.
If The Fees Are Too High For You DON'T Go Diving! DON'T Eat! Etc. Thru with my rant for now.
Andy and Dave

I am with Seb on this one, a two tank boat dive off the coast of North Carolina is $90!

My View: I am generally supportive of the new approach but would suggest they also consider some sort of day pass for very short term visitors.

I see the utility in the things my pass helps pay for -- things that tend to benefit me as a diver. (My hat is off to Jack and many others for making that happen!) I also compare the cost to other things I might buy and it seems in step with those (DAN membership: $29; Mt. Rainier National Park Pass: $30, State Parks day use: $3/day, etc.)

I typically stay at least two weeks and visit the park at least once. For me, the net price change is a very modest $5. And the cost per dive remains less than $0.50...

But what about someone who wants to try Bonaire for a day or two (as a stopover on KLM or a hop from Curacao)? They don't get that kind of value -- a few hours of snorkeling for $10? One days of diving at $25?

The fee structure may very well dissuade those who are only dipping their toe in this trip (so to speak) with the idea of maybe coming back in the future for a more extended trip?

Ron:

I agree that any price increase tend to strain our leisure budgets -- be they increased taxes, increased airfare or the need to re-roof the house. And, ultimately, that is just what this is -- a net price increase on my trip of $5 per person (as I typically go to the park at least once). In my vacation planning, that is not a large enough change to materially impact my vacation planning.

Does that make me wealthy and imply I have no respect for money? I am not sure where you got the data showing most of the posters here are wealthy. And I have no idea where they called you riff raff.

Most of the wealthy got that way by making personal sacrifices, working hard, taking risks and being a bit lucky. (It also seems likely that those same attributes allowed you to retire before age 48 -- if I understand your profile correctly.)

Not Wealthy,
Dave

>> .... a two tank boat dive off the coast of North Carolina is $90! <<

Get a grip John .... In NC that $90 pays for a 2-3hr 30+NM boat ride in rough seas and limited creature comforts. So given the a simple "carriage fee" the NC costs are a better deal than even the cheapest of boat dives in a location like Bonaire. BTW that same $90 on the west coast buys you free air fills, a private bunk (with pillows, blanket, matress pad), air conditioning, hotwater showers (sometimes a hot tub), breakfast, lunch and a snack...and typically 3+ dives for a day of diving <bg> ... shameless plug for the Great Escape out of Long Beach!

The REAL problem diving here on the east coast is that the Drive-to-Dive ratio is often very poor. 6-7 hours(or more) from the DC area, 2/3 hr boat ride, 20-30 minutes max bottome time (110+ feet), and hour or two SI, another 20 minutes and then another2/3hr boat ride, get up and do it again on Sunday and even after all that you still have ANOTHER 7+ hour ride home. Diving here takes a bit more dedication then wading into warm, clear water while on vacation!

Everyone has their hand-out (BNMP/STINAPA) .... every little bit really does "add-up" and the point I was making earlier is that a single event like Lenny or other natural event (hurricanes, storms etal) does MORE "damage" to the marine park than all the divers combined.

Bob

I am suprised that Bonaire waited this long to raise the tag price...especially after Lenny. Coming to Bonaire twice a year, 25 dollars a diver is still a great deal. It is 100 dollars per person on Galapagoes...over 60 dollars a person to get into Disney(no conservation there!) I think it is a small price to pay to ensure their reefs are protected.

Jack, Thanks for your response. As usual it was both informative and courteous. I hope to take you up on the invitation to visit the Headquarters at Barcadera on my next two week visit to Bonaire. I will gladly pay the new $25.00 fee to support the cause.

Keep up the good work!

David

One of the issues is that after a natural disaster the damaged areas of the reef have to be looked after so that they can recover. ie closed or limited diving to take the pressure off the reef and alternative sites opened.

Thank you to STINAPA's members especially Jack for your work - information to us visitors and management of the Bonaire eco-system.

Brian:

I think you meant to direct your comment to Bob. Either that, or I have no clue... (which I have been accused of many times!)

Dave

David

Sorry it should have been addressed to Bob, I must put my glasses on more often.

I aint rich, and I look at each of my dive trips with the major constraint of cost. That will not (even with the $15 (yup we're arguing about $15)) keep me from returning to Bonaire whenever I can afford it. I guess it does bother me a bit when a well guided non-profit such as STINAPA is incorrectly painted as a "arm of the government" and thus bad. I have to ask what the reef and Washington Park would look like if there were no STINAPA.
I would certainly prefer to pay an increased fee to STINAPA to continue their efforts to protect both the reef and topside Bonaire than to pay more tax to the local government (especially given their history in responding to local crime issues). I particularly liked Jake's thought regarding the $5.50/nite lodging tax, which does go to the government....though I'm not sure where it does go. Perhaps those that are so "anti" this fee increase should take the lodging tax on as a cause. That I could support.
I, personally, support the increase and laud the efforts of STINAPA and their employees.

Joe

This is a little late on this subject but..
Ron, have you been to Bonaire?
If you have, you'll have to agree that STINAPA
has been doing an excellent job keeping up the natural environment on Bonaire and it's reef's healthy.
It's a monumentous job and the people involved really have their hearts in it too.
Thanks to them, Bonaire reefs are one of the best and healthiest in the caribbean.
As for the increase, I ,for one, am "making out" on the deal because we like to visit the park sereval times when we are there.
We have to pay a fee to go to the parks here on in NY too.
The increase is long over due.
Thanks Jack and your staff for your tireless efforts.

You're so right about all of this, Lorraine, and I second your tribute to STINAPA.
Tish