By Pauline Kayes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #180) on Sunday, June 7, 2009 - 2:14 pm: |
The bad news is that the interim sewage plan, which called for a portable sewage processing plant at LVV, is seriously behind schedule (due December 2008; it is now June 2009). Meanwhile, not all resorts are completely and regularly trucking and treating their sewage. As a result, Bonaire's reefs are still being polluted by nutrient-loaded wastewater from shoreline accomodations and being degraded to the "point of no return" (Brian La Pointe, marine biologist).
|
By Mel Briscoe (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #496) on Sunday, June 7, 2009 - 4:13 pm: |
I'd be happy to distribute and use a list of "good guys" and "bad guys," but not one that is based on unknown individuals collecting the info in unknown ways and sending email reports to BT for unknown purposes. However, if such a list had a stamp of authority -- like STINAPA -- on it, I'd be all over it in a heartbeat. Anything less is too prone to error, misinterpretation, and misuse.
|
By Pauline Kayes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #181) on Sunday, June 7, 2009 - 5:49 pm: |
Mel, if tourists call the hotels and resorts themselves and express their concerns, maybe then the hotels and resorts would know that it matters to their customers, and that could be a big motivation to cooperate fully. That is one way to do it without issuing lists.
|
By Vince DePietro-www.bonairebeachcondo.com (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2246) on Sunday, June 7, 2009 - 6:15 pm: |
Pauline..Do you have any intelligence as to when the
|
By Menno (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #246) on Monday, June 8, 2009 - 8:44 am: |
Pauline;
|
By Pauline Kayes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #182) on Monday, June 8, 2009 - 10:43 am: |
Vince, supposedly the portable plant and trucks will be here in Dec. 2009 but don't hold your breath. As to when it will be functional is anyone's guess.
|
By Menno (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #247) on Monday, June 8, 2009 - 11:34 am: |
These shoreline "structures" also produce most income and employment for the whole island. To mention another one; The airport is within the same zone so using the airport should be banned too....???
|
By Pauline Kayes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #183) on Monday, June 8, 2009 - 4:25 pm: |
Menno, if the reefs die, many more jobs will be lost. Isn't it better to be proactive now than reactive later?
|
By Menno (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #248) on Monday, June 8, 2009 - 5:27 pm: |
And that is the question indeed........
|
By Menno (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #249) on Monday, June 8, 2009 - 5:30 pm: |
Hey, I can type red dots without having red dots on my key-board. Wow!
|
By Marcus L. Barnes (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1132) on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 - 9:20 am: |
I think its important to understand that alot of us take treating sewage for granted. When you're used to it as standard operating procedure its hard to understand why an island government sitting on top of what used to be an ocean paradise is resistant to something alot of us see as something that you do because to not do it doesn't make any sense at all from many different perspectives. I don't see how you make to the big leagues of tourism when, in 2009, you can't even do something as fundamental as treating your sewage.
|
By Menno (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #250) on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 - 9:30 am: |
IMO that is exactly why "they" shift to a different "class" of tourist....
|
By Marcus L. Barnes (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1133) on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 - 10:24 am: |
OK, start with premise that the government doesn't care about the reefs or diving the reefs. My question is why? I can understand wanting the revenue from tourists other than divers/snorklers, but why give up the revenue from divers/snorklers in the process? How does that make good business sense? If all you have to do is treat the sewage to keep those revenues why resist it?
|
By Menno (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #251) on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 - 10:49 am: |
If they cared they would by now having invested in treating the sewage since these facts are known for over 20 years if I am correct.
|
By Marcus L. Barnes (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1134) on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 - 11:21 am: |
I can understand the policy of a business being kill what you have and look for better mean while but I can't understand that being the government's policy. Once a resort kills reefs and moves on, the government is still sitting there having to answer to the people who just lost the revenue and jobs from the resort. It seems to me that the smart thing for the government to do in their own self interest is to regulate the business in manner that ensures they don't kill the reef. So my next question would be why aren't they doing that? I guess I have to assume that the government on Bonaire has cost/revenue models that project the cost of treating sewage is greater than the loss of revenue from not treating sewage. Otherwise, why would you not treat the sewage? That wouldn't make good business sense. If those models don't exist, then I guess I have to assume the government is clueless when it comes to successful business practices.
|
By MadMan (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #189) on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 - 12:32 pm: |
The only thing that is of interest to the government is do we have the money to do something now? (No!) Can we get someone to pay for it later on down the line. (Maybe!) How much can we make of it if we're still in power. (A lot!) Just have to find a victim who is willing to fork over the cash, under or above the table,now or later (Rather Now!) Come and live and vote here maybe you can make a difference
|
By Marcus L. Barnes (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1135) on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 - 1:34 pm: |
Whats up MadMan? I thought the EU was putting up 20 million Euro for treating sewage on Bonaire.
|
By MadMan (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #192) on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 - 12:07 am: |
Yes, when ? Investigating? Corruption or other wrong doings?
|
By Pauline Kayes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #185) on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 - 11:57 am: |
Marcus, yes, the money for the interim plan (i.e. extra poop trucks, portable processing plant, etc.) has been committed and I understand they are taking bids right now. Wish there was a way to massage the bureaucracy into quicker results, like this summer, instead of Dec. 2009. Every day without sewage processing is one more day slowly killing the reef.
|
By Marcus L. Barnes (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1140) on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 - 12:42 pm: |
Sooner would be better but at least Dec 2009 means the island won't go through another (entire) high season without some sewage treatment capability. It isn't perfect but I, for one, will take it for now. Kudos to those who are driving the train on this.
|
By eddie blizzard (BonaireTalker - Post #13) on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 - 6:30 pm: |
|
By Mel Briscoe (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #498) on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 - 9:05 pm: |
Eddie, what makes you think everyone is complacent?
|
By Pauline Kayes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #186) on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 - 9:20 pm: |
It is so ironic that a friend just called me after hearing a big PR piece on National Public Radio in the states about how Bonaire's reefs are "pristine." As long as Bonaire's PR machine keeps repeating what was true 20 years ago, most people will believe it because they don't have the facts about the toll the sewage is taking on the reefs. If these reefs are to be saved, it is time for reality and myth to collide!
|
By eddie blizzard (BonaireTalker - Post #14) on Thursday, June 11, 2009 - 12:53 am: |
The scuba industry will keep recycling new divers to see the pristine "reefs".
|
By Menno (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #252) on Thursday, June 11, 2009 - 6:49 am: |
I am not a biologist or scientist but I doubt current solves anything. It sounds to me like solving skin-problems by standing in the wind.
|
By Dan Jolly (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1425) on Thursday, June 11, 2009 - 10:31 am: |
Eddie - true about Coz, but the reef is really not that much to see compared to Bonaire, Roatan, Belize and many other Caribbean locales even with the current.
|
By Menno (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #253) on Thursday, June 11, 2009 - 4:25 pm: |
Today I saw it again. I have seen it before but lately I see "these" things more and more. I always wondered why "those" divers used "those" things. Most of "these" divers also carry a camera......
|
By Pietri Hausmann (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #193) on Thursday, June 11, 2009 - 4:36 pm: |
menno ... did you happen to see the article in the Extra last week about a study done at the request of the BMP about the impact of damage to reefs by intentional and unintentional touching of the reef?? while the divers studied on bonaire were 40% better than in other dive destination country's studied .. it was still a depressing report with diver contact with the coral considered one of the major reasons for decline in the reef health .. especially targeted were the underwater photographers as causing significant enough regular damage for the study to recommend bonaire require more control and education from the dive companies.
|
By Menno (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #254) on Thursday, June 11, 2009 - 5:02 pm: |
Kind of hard to "control" divers on Bonaire. The biggest draw of diving Bonaire is unlimited shorediving..... After the orientation everybody can go where he (she) wants and do whatever he (she) wants..... Sure diveshops try their very best but, how many times can a diveshop "nag" on a paying guest before he (she) decides to go elsewhere or to go without a guide??
|
By JD (BonaireTalker - Post #37) on Thursday, June 11, 2009 - 8:06 pm: |
Why is it that there is such a reluctance to say where the sewage is coming from? I would think those resorts with good practices would be bragging about it!
|
By a retired Grunt (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #818) on Thursday, June 11, 2009 - 8:55 pm: |
I would think those resorts with good practices would be bragging about it!
|
By Mel Briscoe (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #500) on Thursday, June 11, 2009 - 9:00 pm: |
A literature review is at
|
By Mel Briscoe (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #501) on Thursday, June 11, 2009 - 9:09 pm: |
A literature review on damage to reefs (by divers and other sources) is at
|
By Menno (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #255) on Friday, June 12, 2009 - 7:56 am: |
Trucking it out means nothing more then replacing it.
|
By Iris (BonaireTalker - Post #18) on Friday, June 12, 2009 - 10:04 am: |
Link of the article in Extra that Pietri Hausmann refered to http://www.extrabon.com/edishon/extra2009-06-03.pdf page 10
|
By JD (BonaireTalker - Post #38) on Friday, June 12, 2009 - 12:16 pm: |
Thank you for the information. I am going to print out and read the two papers I am able to read. I might like to read the others as well, but let me get through these first.
|
By Bart Snelder (BonaireTalker - Post #45) on Friday, June 12, 2009 - 5:46 pm: |
What baffles me is the negativity in all of these threads, be it environment, crime, or what ever. This particular thread speaks of "they do not care" "boycot them" and whatnot. Allow me to counter for a while please. Bonaire is one of the most environmentally conscious places in the world, setting standards that are taken as example globally (as proven by a conference, of Caribbean Marine Park managers, I was invited to partake in yesterday, held here). Fully one fifth of its entire territory is park, and much more is protected in some way or another. Its entire surrounding sea to a depth of 200 ft is park. And this backed by law and legislation. In two years a full fifty percent of its power needs will be generated by renewable energy. All of this has been achieved by cooperation between public and private sectors and could not have been achieved otherwise. Even our island guests can be counted upon, to be environmentally conscious. It truly is an exceptional achievement by an island, its people, its government, its businesses and its guests, ie everybody.
|
By *Freddie* (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #12195) on Friday, June 12, 2009 - 5:54 pm: |
Thank you Bart!!!! that was the best post I have seen in years.. thank you
|
By eddie blizzard (BonaireTalker - Post #17) on Friday, June 12, 2009 - 5:59 pm: |
If by best you mean most depressing. Why is Bonaire broke?
|
By Bart Snelder (BonaireTalker - Post #46) on Friday, June 12, 2009 - 6:19 pm: |
Freddie: You Betcha!! Eddie: different topic, different thread :-)
|
By Vince DePietro-www.bonairebeachcondo.com (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2254) on Friday, June 12, 2009 - 6:27 pm: |
Great post Bart..For some reason there are some folks who just LOVE to knock Bonaire. This is even more pronounced on other diving oriented boards which I don't feel the need to name. Others think they know much better how to manage things than the folks who actually live on the island.
|
By eddie blizzard (BonaireTalker - Post #20) on Friday, June 12, 2009 - 7:03 pm: |
"and stay involved. Feel good about your efforts. Bonaire will be grateful."
|
By Marcus L. Barnes (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1141) on Friday, June 12, 2009 - 9:09 pm: |
So, Bart, its all about the money then. The government truly cares but doesn't have the money to do anything about it. I guess that answers my questions which is all I was after in the first place from a knowledgeable source. I'm glad an insider came on line to clear this up for me. This is one of those time I am happy to be wrong. Didn't mean to come off as negative. Off to Scuba Board. See ya.
|
By eddie blizzard (BonaireTalker - Post #22) on Saturday, June 13, 2009 - 3:45 am: |
Well it's not necessarily all about the money.
|
By *Freddie* (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #12202) on Saturday, June 13, 2009 - 5:55 am: |
eddie why not write to each hotel/resort and ask them.. Then come back with your findings...
|
By Pauline Kayes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #187) on Saturday, June 13, 2009 - 7:30 am: |
Bart, all your history leaves out the fact that many of the hotels, BONHATA, the Tourist Board, etc. have fought the sewage solution for almost 20 years, which is why it has gotten to this "point of no return" for the reefs. Many have resisted paying any extra money to have their sewage trucked or processed even though they make their money from tourism on the reef (diving and snorkeling).
|
By Mel Briscoe (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #504) on Saturday, June 13, 2009 - 8:58 am: |
Bart, tell us what Wannadive does with its sewage.
|
By Menno (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #256) on Saturday, June 13, 2009 - 1:04 pm: |
Information about what a business does with the sewage can damage or benefit that business unjust so an official poop-repport should be provided to the mods to ensure a truthful posting...... :-))
|
By Tom Reynolds (BonaireTalker - Post #23) on Monday, June 15, 2009 - 7:48 pm: |
Bart-
|
By a retired Grunt (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #822) on Monday, June 15, 2009 - 8:44 pm: |
Tom, I agree 100%.
|
By YucatanPat (Sand$ Condo) (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #336) on Monday, June 15, 2009 - 10:56 pm: |
I recently returned from my 6th trip to Bonaire in less then two years. My wife and I always brought home our large used plastic and metal bottles/cans to recycle locally. This time I started a waste plastic bag and put in ever scrap of plastic we generated during our three weeks. I was shocked that we ended up with a FULL normal sized home depot type bag of waste plastic. It came home with the four soda and milk bottles and a few metal cans. I ask others to do the same, remove the plastic and metal from the landfill, every bit helps.
|
By eddie blizzard (BonaireTalker - Post #31) on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 - 12:40 am: |
"Sand Dollar does not water the lawn. For this reason the grounds at Sand Dollar take some hits on the various message boards. If you stay at a lush property on Bonaire I would question the water practices of the resort."
|
By Pauline Kayes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #188) on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 - 11:56 am: |
The problem is not the money. In fact in the last year, money was allocated by the Dutch government to purchase both the portable sewage processing plant to be placed at LVV to process all that sludge being dumped there and the additional trucks to move out all that sewage on a regular basis so it doesn't continue seeping onto the reef. This is known as the interim sewage plan. The "white elephant" plan funded by the EU for 20 million Euros involves digging up the island, putting in sewer pipes, constructing a permanent plant,etc. This is the "long term" plan scheduled to begin further down the road and may not be operational until 2013 (reefs dead by then!).
|
By Menno (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #257) on Friday, June 19, 2009 - 4:33 pm: |
Quoted from Page 14, the Bonaire Reporter, Volume 16 Issue 13. Here they "look" back to the year 1999.
|
Visit: The Bonaire WebCams - Current Bonaire images and weather!
The Bonaire Insider - the latest tourism news about Bonaire
The Bonaire Information Site, InfoBonaire
Search Bonaire - Search top Bonaire Web sites