This posting is a follow-up question from the Buddy Dive discussion in the Trip Reports subheading:
The current discussion about diving from commercial boats with resort tanks, as well as previous discussions pertaining to lack of uniformity in dive orientations, makes me wonder how CURO/BMP approaches communication of and adherance to standards they adopt. Are these standards "community stds" or do they carry the penalties of law? It sounds as though they are considered enforcable by law within the confines of the Marine Park.
It is obviously in the best interest of the dive community at large to have a set of standards that are uniformly applied. I think this provides for the safety of divers and protection for the reef. Are there CURO meetings or other avenues of communication for certified professionals on Bonaire to insure that they are/remain current on what the standards are? Or is it up to the managers of the various operations to assure that their professionals are familiar with the laws and standards that apply within the park?

The Marine Park has had a legal structure for 20 years with real management starting around 10 years ago. There are laws but enforcement can be a problem.

The Marine Park has laws about fishing, boating, diving, etc. No Spearfishing of any kind, and no taking of sea turtles are backed up by real laws with sentences and/or fines.

CURO has weekly meetings of the Dive Shops Owners/managers. It would be the Owners/managers responsibility to inform their employees of both Marine Park and CURO rules.

Thanks, Linda.

So if a person wants to be certain they have an accurate and up-to-date understanding of what the laws and standards are, they should consult ??? (what document, book, guide, pamphlet....person?)

Hello, I will jump into this discussion, as current president of CURO (The Council of Underwater Resort Operators). All dive operators work very closely with the Bonaire Marine Park to ensure the highest quality of standards within all operations.

CURO meets with BMP at each monthly meeting (sorry, Linda, we don't meet weekly!). CURO is an organization without authority to make or change laws. The laws are written into Bonaire's legislation concerning the Bonaire Marine Park. We at CURO uphold them, and do report infractions as we may see them. Many times infractions are due more to misunderstandings than to out-and-out disregard for regulations.

CURO members also have their own standards which are upgraded as needed, and, although there is no law which states we MUST adhere to them, we all agree to ahere to them.

To perhaps lessen some confusion as to why a commercial vessel (outside of a dive operator's) cannot accept divers, while a rental vehicle can, is due to the regulations required by the Marine Park. Any vessel transporting divers within the confines of the Marine Park must be licensed as such. Vessels for rent are not licensed, at least to my knowledge. Furthermore, there are other regulations which go hand-in-hand with transporting divers within the Marine Park, such as having proper first-aid, oxygen, and someone trained in the rescue of divers. It sounds to me that the dive shop manager at Buddy Dive, in this instance, was simply being sure that her operation adhered to the regulations imposed on dive operators here on Bonaire. If there are any other questions that CURO can answer, please feel free to contact me at president@curo.org.

Susan Davis

Thanks Susan. I was just going to recommend that they talk to you.

If someone were on island they could consult the Marine Park office as well as the manager of any of the diveshops with specific questions.

Thanks for identifying the appropriate resources. It also may allow people to inquire about plans before they even arrive, thus circumventing disappointment.

does anyone know if it is illegal to ride horses in the Washington Slagbaai park? i had heard that it was not allowed and wondered why. if it is i suppose there is a logical reason for it. i thought that would be a most pleasant trip on horseback. if i were to move there one day, i would have a horse. i realize this is not a typical question for this discussion group, but it is what i am interested in.

i know you can tour it by vehicle, can you walk in?, and can you bike tour it? if anyone knows about this i would appreciate the info. thanks

sherry baker

No walking in but of course, you can park somewhere and hike if you want.
No biking in with the exception that you can take a bike tour which includes a backup vehicle in case you have problems. This needs to be pre-arranged.

Don't know about the horse issue.
Try sending a message to info@stinapa.org

thank you linda, i will check there.