By Pauline Kayes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #196) on Wednesday, August 5, 2009 - 5:23 pm: |
This afternoon, I snorkeled in front of the old Sunset Beach Hotel, and to the right at the broken down dock, I saw a 4 foot dead moray eel on the bottom with half its body in a crevice and the other waving in the sea.
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By Jerry C Ligon (BonaireTalker - Post #36) on Wednesday, August 5, 2009 - 6:15 pm: |
Pauline: This adds to the faith that I put in divers observations if they are informed. This eel was reported last week,by 2 if my naturalist students, but I won't jump to a hasty conclusion that it was the same one. We will have to wait and see if any more eels are reported dead. Sometimes a fisherman will kill one that they catch, but this is in the protected area, therefor, the fishermen should not be here.
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By Glen Reem (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3061) on Wednesday, August 5, 2009 - 11:10 pm: |
Should not such dead eels (or other animals) be 'collected'?
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By eddie blizzard (BonaireTalker - Post #56) on Thursday, August 6, 2009 - 7:24 pm: |
It is the responsibility of each dive operation and hotel to call Stinapa when they encounter a fisherman in the protected area, otherwise, the protection is for nought, but I'm afraid only one or two operations are that conscientious.
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By Kevin (BonaireTalker - Post #52) on Thursday, August 6, 2009 - 11:31 pm: |
What are the protected areas that fishermen aren't allowed to be in?
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By Jerry C Ligon (BonaireTalker - Post #39) on Friday, August 7, 2009 - 6:54 am: |
Kevin: Here is the official link to Stinapa with a Google map of the two protected areas. The northern most is 1.4 miles in length Also click on Regulations to see the rules and official regulations that apply to the Marine Park.
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By Bart Snelder (BonaireTalker - Post #54) on Friday, August 7, 2009 - 5:22 pm: |
Actually, no fishing in these zones means no bottom fishing, which makes enforcement and control virtually impossible. Eddie, yes all dive operators know this.(and yes, therefore the no fishing zone a load of crap, because fishermen are still allowed to fish for "surface fish and baitfish", within the zone) Please Jerry, inform me which diveshop is "not that conscientious". I will gladly visit that diveshop with you and hold them to their responsibility. Feel free to post them on this board. I want names! Jerry, I have endless respect for your knowledge and involvement, but that is a nonsense statement. Having said that, it is not just the responsibility of diveshops and hotels, but of us all.
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By a retired Grunt (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #845) on Friday, August 7, 2009 - 7:04 pm: |
We were there for three weeks in May and saw several juvy spotted morays along with quite few adults, but no where near what we saw in past years. We saw only ONE green moray in about 50 dives, and that was at Karpata at 80', almost 2/3 of the way out. The one was in great shape, but it was sad to see only one over the entire trip. Here is the one and only we saw...
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By Jerry C Ligon (BonaireTalker - Post #40) on Friday, August 7, 2009 - 7:21 pm: |
Bart: On Wednesday, I approached two young Dutch boys, ages, around 8 to 12 who were fishing off the old collapsed dock next to our dive dock at Bonaire Dive and Adventure. I showed them the 4 yellow rocks that Stinapa placed along this zone because it is heavily illegally fished. Each is written in either Dutch, Popimentu, English or Spanish. I called the 2 boys in and asked them which signs they could read, and they pointed to the Dutch sign, but they could speak English to me. They also pointed back at Eden and said that their father said it was ok for them to fish along the shore here. I explained the no fishing zone. When we parted, THEY WALKED BACK TO EDEN BEACH.
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By Glen Reem (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3063) on Friday, August 7, 2009 - 8:39 pm: |
Is Bart Snelder a party in any commercial dive op or other commercial concern on Bonaire??
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By Kevin (BonaireTalker - Post #53) on Friday, August 7, 2009 - 8:52 pm: |
Jerry - How about starting in BDA's backyard? I am under the impression that even Den Laman's relatively new septic system is still plagued with overflow issues. Is this incorrect?
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By Debbie B. ~ Jersey Gal(*) (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #10132) on Friday, August 7, 2009 - 10:13 pm: |
We have seen lots of juvenile spotted eels this trip. Two green morays so far too. Have been on island for almost a week, so I am thinking this is a good sign. Hope so anyway.
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By Vince DePietro-www.bonairebeachcondo.com (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2374) on Saturday, August 8, 2009 - 6:13 am: |
Excellent Debbie..It's been some time since I've seen the green morays which used to be so ubiquitous around the Bonairean waters. Glad to see that it appears they may be coming back. Now if they can just get this sewage issued resolved in some sort of timely fashion.
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By Bart Snelder (BonaireTalker - Post #55) on Saturday, August 8, 2009 - 11:58 am: |
Jerry, I apologize for getting riled up (SP?) a bit. For better or for worse, I just think that there is barely anybody on Bonaire who is not involved in some way or another in environmental protection. Enough? perfect? Far far from it. Better than most places in the world? You bet! Bashing, differentiating (is that proper english?), or fingerpointing is simply a misplaced call imho. I agree with you completely that it is never them and us. It is us. Period. You and I at odds? Heck, I wouldn't dare! You forgot more than I will ever learn. However, as long as a no fishing zone is installed, with exceptions in both method and species rather than a complete ban, it is simply not a 'no fishing' zone to me. And unenforcable. Conversely, far far before 'no fishing zones' were ever even contemplated I tried to stop fishermen already. I always thought that the discrepancy between the diveshops giving dive orientations ( no gloves, no touch, no take etc.) and then fishermen wacking fish right in front of them, was nothing short of an affront. Having said that, I never saw those kids you mentioned (Sunset Beach is a bit beyond my eyesight, although I am 6'7" :-)), but I do remember I have been sent away myself a gazillion times, as a boy at that age, for fishing where that was not allowed, such as private trout ponds where the catching was easy, HA!! And I also always blamed my dad, hé hé hé. I wish I had seen those kids, so I could have sent them away, while trying to hide my laughter. :-) One thing is for sure, I am one hundred percent no knight and scared of horses HA!!
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By ModCyn (Moderator - Post #820) on Saturday, August 8, 2009 - 12:33 pm: |
Glen, one is not required to put their business affiliation on their profile, or name, we just "suggest it," and it's usually suggested because the person was self-promoting and had not read the "posting policies."
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By Glen Reem (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3064) on Saturday, August 8, 2009 - 5:36 pm: |
Didn't ask for ban, just curious on i.d. I agree on the fishing.
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By Pauline Kayes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #199) on Saturday, August 8, 2009 - 9:21 pm: |
Jerry, Yes, yes, yes! It is so hypocritical to claim "sustainable tourism" accolades while simultaneously pouring sewage onto the reef! If Sylvia Earle, who is coming to Bonaire at the end of the week to receive an award, only knew what has been truly going on here, she might think twice about being "used" by the Tourism Corporation to trumpet Bonaire's eco-reputation. Sooner or later, the truth will come out--but by then the Reefs of Bonaire will be for all intents and purposes DEAD! Like Jamaica!
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By Jerry C Ligon (BonaireTalker - Post #41) on Sunday, August 9, 2009 - 6:59 am: |
Pauline: My sentiments exactly. I have payed attention to Bruce Bowker's guest editorial in the August 7-21 Reporter, entitled "The Power of a Single Person to Make Changes." What a positive statement that needs to be taken to heart by all of us. He lists 16 specific things that were done here on Bonaire that improved conditions. I do not know the individuals that were involved in every single one those acts of kindness that he lists, but I hope that they were a scattering of local Bonaireans on that list.
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By Hendrik Wuyts (BonaireTalker - Post #35) on Monday, August 10, 2009 - 9:19 am: |
I have a great movie for Sylvia Earle, its a compilation of the films from Sean Paton named 'Impact of tourism.
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By Pauline Kayes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #201) on Monday, August 10, 2009 - 11:02 am: |
Henrik, I have e-mailed Sylvia Earle several times with no answer. Since I won't be on the island when she comes, I asked Sean if he could try to talk to her about the sewage and the dumping. So maybe he could do it. Perhaps another option is to find someone who is going to the reception for her at the governor's house next weekend to give it to her.
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By Mel Briscoe (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #538) on Monday, August 10, 2009 - 11:07 am: |
Sylvia is too nice a person and too politic to speak out directly on this matter while a guest receiving an award in a foreign country.
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By Pauline Kayes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #202) on Monday, August 10, 2009 - 12:10 pm: |
Mel, you are right, maybe not while she is here but later I am sure, because she is committed to the oceans and the reefs, and if she knew speaking out could help stop the sewage that much faster, she would do it at the appropriate time and in the appropriate context.
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By Hendrik Wuyts (BonaireTalker - Post #36) on Tuesday, August 11, 2009 - 11:51 am: |
I will pas the video to Sean and see if he can get it to Sylvia Earle
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