Elvis Tjin has a face book page.

He will be on BON FM today to talk about this.

Contact TCB to make your feelings known

info@tourismbonaire.com

Tjin Asjoe wants Carnival Cruise Lines to visit Bonaire
4 Mei, 2010, 07:57 (GMT -04:00

KRALENDIJK — Minister Elvis Tjin Asjoe (Economical Affairs) wants to have Bonaire included in the itinerary of Carnival Cruise Lines, a company that sails in the Caribbean area during the entire year. The other cruise companies stick to the high season and do not sail during the summer months. Aruba already has an agreement with Carnival and Curaçao is working on one. Tjin Asjoe has approached the two islands to include Bonaire as well in a deal with Carnival for visits to the ABC-Islands. By that, the islands will be ensured of cruise tourism during the entire year, which amongst others implies that the taxi drivers on Bonaire will also have work during the low season, says Tjin Asjoe.
According to the Minister, Bonaire could easily be included in an agreement with Carnival, which would mean ‘permanent’ cruise tourism for Bonaire. More than 200,000 cruise tourists had already visited the island during the past seasons.

I always schedule my trips to Bonaire to avoid the cruise season.
If that season becomes a year round thing I will go elsewhere.
Mr. Asjoe might consider the old saying "Be careful what you wish for"

just sent my email. This really disgusts me...

I've just booked next year's trip, but will evaluate whether it'll be my last one...

Bonaire is getting bigger and well known , you know what goes with that.

Not more cruise ships - I have sent my concerns to the tourist board.

The only relevant thing is if your dive dollars are more than the dollars provided by the cruise ships.

if u think the tourist are destroying island now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!wait
there is a lot at stake what is he thinking????????????????
es

I too have just written this open letter:



'Dear Sir/Madam.

I am contacting you in connection with the proposal of allowing cruise ships to call at Bonaire all year round.

While I understand that there are some traders that will benefit, that unfortunately is where the good news ends. Bonaire is unique and as such, more eco-friendly tourism should be developed. In this more enlightened world, the 'green' traveller is becoming ever more prevalent. People are no longer interested in a little piece of home from home. On the contrary, people want to leave behind the world in which they live for 50 weeks of the year.

Globalisation has left us with a world full of Western influenced countries. Unfortunately, the influences are mainly negative. Shopping malls replace local shops & international fast food franchises replace local eateries and add to health and litter problems.

We in the West have ruined our countries. We have crime ridden streets, record obesity & escalating anti-social behaviour as a result of our policies. Don't allow us to do the same to your beautiful country'.

Sincerely.

Antony Bond.

Maybe it's worth mentioning that Elvis (the Minister quoted in the first post) is also the husband of the director of the Tourism Corporation Bonaire, Ronella Tjin Asjoe-Croes, who can be reached directly at gm@tourismbonaire.com

Jake

Here is a copy of my email to the Board of Tourism:

To whom it may concern

I am really disappointed to learn that Bonaire is seeking to be included in the itinerary of Carnival Cruise Lines, which would mean permanent cruise tourism for Bonaire. With a population of 14,000 it seems crazy to welcome a cruise liner with 4000 plus passengers (over a quarter of the entire population of the island). The taxis tear back and forth to the beach at breakneck speeds, Sorobon beach becomes swamped with bodies bobbing about amongst the windsurfers and it spoils the serene atmosphere of the island. Surely Bonaire has much to gain as an Island wanting to protect its very special environment, and allowing tourism to grow slowly and in a manageable way. Inviting cruise ships to the Island does mean that more people will get to discover this little gem, but such huge numbers in one go wreaks havoc. How good is it for the local economy – only a few actually benefit from this deluge of people who come for just a few hours, whereas those that fly to the island and stay for a week or two are so much better for the local economy: hotels, restaurants, diving facilities, windsurf centres, car hire, tourist taxes to name just a few of the beneficiaries from this type of tourism. I do appreciate that the Island wants to grow, but is this the right way?

I am sending this because I care about the future of such a beautiful island.

Yours sincerely



Carole Hibdige

Thanks Carole for posting that..
Folks make your intentions known.

Aruba and Curacao are on the 2011 schedule for the Carnival Miracle.

To whom it may concern

I am sure that you are tired of hearing from tourists who spend no more than a few weeks a year on your island home telling you how to run your island. I am one of those tourists, but I am also an owner of property on the island that is available for renting most of the year, as I am only able to enjoy short vacations on the island each year.

It is disturbing to me that the volume of cruise ships has gone up over the years; and I believe that the increase will have a negative impact on the vacationers who come to the island for shorter periods of time. I also believe that the increase in cruise ship volume has helped other sectors of the economy, like the taxi drivers, and the temporary market in town on cruise ship days. My fear is that the balance between the two types of tourist dollars will swing to far one way or the other. So far it has not favored the cruise ship tourist, and you are now looking to correct that. All I ask is that you weigh the two sides carefully as you make these changes.

Your sincerely
Gord Alder

Tjin Asjoe wants Carnival Cruise Lines to visit Bonaire
4 Mei, 2010, 07:57 (GMT -04:00)





It would be so simple to pursue Carnival Cruise Lines and sign them up to come to Bonaire during the summer, which would extend the cruising passengers visits to 12 months.
No one knows how much personal trash they leave behind, including those plastic vanity bottles of water, purchased in Bonaire and left here in our land fill. Personal items like paper and plastic bags if the rare item is purchased on Bonaire is also added to the unsustainable trash load. No one knows how much poo they leave behind that is added to the unsustainable sewage load that Bonaire already has. No one knows how enriched we are by their presence which adds to our island by their show of intelligence and knowledge of the world and its endangered wild areas and the creatures that are trying to live on this planet.
What we do know is that the taxi drivers are in favor of the extended season to year round status, and a few that sell novelty, "touristy" items.

I would like to ask Minister Elvis if he ever visits the reefs on Bonaire, and if he does, then he is in a position to answer a further question: Is it as healthy as it has always been? Where does all the algae come from? I wonder if the Minister ever checks on the trash dumpsters that are taken to the landfill in order to get an idea of how much we are accumulating due to the extra load brought in by cruise ship passengers.
Does he or TCB hand out pamphlets explaining our fragile island, asking that passengers not use plastic drinking bottles of any sort? Is TCB trying to reduce our plastic addiction by trying to ban the purchase of plastic drinking bottles and plastics in general on Bonaire? Does he or the TCB educate the passengers on what it means to not use plastic or excessive paper that trinklets are wrapped in which ends up in the landfill.
Does he or TCB hand out pamphlets explaining what it means to overload our sewage systems and what happens to a lot of the sewage and what effect this has on our reefs? I wonder if TCB or the Minister count the poo trucks that must take the contents of filled septic tanks before they overflow onto the reefs with added sewage brought here by cruise ship passengers. I wonder if the Minister knows anything about the seasonal increase in the Organic Index that coincides with the arrival of current cruise ships that stimulates the algae growth on the reefs.
I wonder if the Minister or TCB ever dive on beautiful Klein and do they realize that, even though no one lives there, the reefs are also covered with algae from sewage that is blown there from Bonaire? If Klein means "Little", I take it to refer to little as a child is little, compared to big Bonaire, I wonder how we would be treated as an adult who is in charge, if we treated our little child like Bonaire is treating little Klein?

I wonder if the MINISTER or TCB know or wonder what the added particulate load to our air that we breath is being contributed by the addition of cruise ships that pollute the air, as well as the pollution that is added by the internal combustion engine driven by the taxi drivers who take the tourists on tours? What are the health effects?

I wonder if the MINISTER or TCB ever petition the government to pursue a sewage treatment plant that will handle all of Bonaire's sewage? Or petition the government to enact laws to reduce the plastic load on this island?

There are things that we DO KNOW about what is going on on this little gem of an island.
There are many things that we do NOT KNOW about what is happening.
For those who make important decisions, I wonder which side the MINISTER and TCB belong to?

People may (as I have done) wish to contact the Cabinet of the Governor of the Netherland Antilles.

Director Dick van der Windt or the Deputy Director Laurens Warnink.

Fort Amsterdam 2, Willemstad
Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles


Email: kabinet@kgna.an
Tel: (+5999) 461-5298

Just a heads up. Sean will be raising this issue today on his Forum program at 12.00pm local time. www.megahitfm.com

Jerry, when I wrote my article in The Reporter in March on divers noticing the deterioration of the island and wanting to go elsewhere, Ronella Croes said she wanted to talk to me and hear these points of view. I never heard from her, and I doubt if she or her husband really care, either of them about the environmental damage all these cruisers are wreaking on Lac Bay, Klein Bonaire, etc.

They are just following the stereotypical route for Caribbean tourism--cruise ships, shops, souvenirs, dead reefs, blue cocktails, etc. In spite of all the letters, calls, etc., the TCB seems to have no "green" consciousness whatsoever. Where are the forward thinkers who can influence these people before they run Bonaire into the ground?

Perhaps the new "owners" of Bonaire -- as of Oct 10 -- will be interested to learn of these events and attitudes and will be willing to clean house.

In the long run the Cruise Company's can buy their way into any port they decide to put on their itinerary . They are almost as powerful as Oil Company's.
Divers are a small obstacle to the cruise pier . Most people do not see the bottom of the sea so as the old saying goes " out of sight out of mind"
I applaud those who have written such good letters opposing the devastation caused by the goliath ships but I think they will fall on deaf ears . Money Talks.

Is Ramoncito Boie's point of view on cruise ship visits stated anywhere?? He has seemed the more interested in the 'quality' of the island among the political party leaders. How about the other leaders?? Holland???

Is there a comparison of the dollar value to the island economy from ships and divers available. My cynical side suspects the divers bring in more to the economy but perhaps not elsewhere. As I said, a bit of cynicism I would like to have proved wrong.

Politicians of all ilk hate it when their quotes are recorded and replayed.

This article was in the Bonaire Reporter dated 1/25/08

􀁘 The Bonaire Island Government announced this week that Bonaire will get a €20 million subsidy from the European Union for the implementation of the sewage project. The Reporter detailed the plan and progress in the last edition.
According to Commissioner Anthony Nicolaas it represents the culmination of attempts extending back over 18 years to get financing committed. " I am very satisfied," he said.
"The agreement is signed and the invitation to bid can take place. The start of the project is set for at the beginning of next year."
One of the reasons for the delay was to ensure the protection of the environment. The project includes digging and installing the
sewerage lines and water treatment.
The treatment will be on the LVV site and WEB is charged with the implementation. Waste water will be converted into water suitable for irrigation at the seaside resorts. This current phase will include homes and businesses within 1/2 km of the shoreline from Hato to Punt Vierkant,with a buffer area of 500 meters. All cesspools in that area will be eliminated as well to prevent waste water reaching the sea.

This article was in the Bonaire Reporter dated 1/4/08

In an exclusive end-of-theyear interview, Commissioner Anthony Nicolaas provided an update on several environmentalissues of serious importance to the ecosystems of Bonaire: the sewage plant, the sewage trenches at LVV, the Lagoen landfill, waste water disposalby the cruise ship Freewinds and airplane toilet waste.

The Sewage System Plan
According to Nicolaas, the Secretary General of the European Union recently signed the Agreement to fund the sewage project, providing €20 million to constructand initiate the system.
Three million euros will also be allocated for infrastructure repair on Bonaire, mostly for roads.
The consultants hired to design the sewage system have completed their plans for building a three-stage sewage plant, and now the selection of construction contractors will begin.
After the agreement is officially approved this January, the “tendering” of the agreement will make it possible for contractors from around the world to bid for the work as long as they uphold European standards for the environment.
Nicolaas anticipates that it will take three to six months to select the contractor.

Then in January 2009, work will begin on both the construction of the sewage plant itself and the installation of sewage pipes from Hato to Punt Vierkant for all hotels, businesses, and homes within 500 meters of the seashore. When asked why he thought after 20 years of work and numerous proposals Bonaire would finally
have sewage treatment, Nicolaas claimed, “This time it will really happen.
We have a guaranteed agreement with the European Union.
And besides I will resign if it does not go forward!” In the next year, Nicolaas will exert his energies on passing a number of laws to start protecting the coral reefs from wastewater pollution.
First, cess-pits will be prohibited, and all new septic tanks must be built from impermeable concrete so wastewater does not percolate into the ground and then into the sea.
Next, all new construction will be required to place septic tanks closer to the street so they can be connected to the sewage pipes.
Finally, septic wastewater to irrigate gardens will also be outlawed. To cover operating costs of the sewage system, both businesses and homes will be required to pay a fee to connect their septic systems to the new sewage plant. Fees will be dependent on the length of pipe needed to connect the owner’s septic system to the sewer pipes in the street.
For those who will have difficulty paying the fee, Nicolaas says social services will be looking for ways to subsidize them.
Once the sewage system is operational, meters will determine how much each customer will be charged for the wastewater being discharged
into the sewage system.

Another priority for Nicolaas will be controlling leach holes at the hotels causing seepage of nutrients into the sea and deteriorating the coral reefs.

Strategy For The Landfill Regarding the landfill at Lagoen, which is another major source of damaging nutrients and chemicals,
Nicolaas regretted that “so far there has been no progress.” He is hoping that with the help of waste management experts from Holland,
SELIBON Director Jonchi Dortalina, who, although he has studied environmental science, has no special expertise in waste management, will be able to come up with a waste management plan that will include separating waste into ecyclables, compost, etc so that damage to the environment will be minimized. Another suspect in the pollution of Lagoen Bay is the LVV sewage trenches, where all septic discharge currently goes.
Nicolaas promises that these trenches will be dredged, treated, and then processed by the new sewage plant until they no longer exist.

Cruise Ship Waste
The prickly issue of wastewater being dumped on Bonaire by both the cruise ship Freewinds
Commissioner Nicolaas,Sewage from the ship Freewinds, aircraft holding tanks, homes and businesses are dumped into these trenches on the LVV tract off Lagoen Road. Can you see the oil slick in the foreground. “This time it will really happen. We have a guaranteed and airliners arriving at Flamingo airport was also addressed by Nicolaas. He intends to cooperate with environmental groups and activists on the island (i.e. Progressive Environmental
Solutions, STINAPA, Sean Peton, (producer of Forum Antilles.com, etc.) to test the fluids being expelled by the
Freewinds into the LVV sewage trenches in order to determine whether or not they are toxic. If so, Nicolaas is determined to put into motion efforts to halt the Freewinds sewage dumps on
Bonaire. The airport is not so much of a problem, contends Nicolaas, because “airlines are only dumping once in awhile in Lima or at LVV. Nicolaas admitted he is a bit worried that Bonaire fell six places in the recent National
Geographic ranking of “most pristine” islands, but he is committed as Director of the evironment to reverse that decline through initiatives like these. 􀂅

Every politician is the same old politician. Bonaire deserves better.

Well, if Bonaire would rather cruise ships vs. someone who visits Bonaire for 4-6 weeks a year (and there are MANY that have extended stays), this diver is off to another island

I wonder how the hotels feel about this, taxis and tours booming.. but low occupancy rates.... Lets look at the restaurants as well, less divers means less business.

TKS, Jerry, for the words from 15 months ago.

I read in these words that Commissioner Nicolaas wants to do the proper thing about sewage pollution on Bonaire as soon as the money is available from Holland.

This project has been delayed ultimately by the lack of money though part of that delay in the last year was the 'confusion' over the Referendum. It should be on track now as the change in status goes forward.

Is there anything current? From anyone else?

Jerry ends by saying, 'Every politician is the same old politician. Bonaire deserves better.' What 'better' do you propose, Jerry?


(Message edited by glenr on May 9, 2010)

Well I've written to TCB and hopefully it will do some good. The economic impact on increasing the cruise ships to Bonaire and loosing divers:

1) Revenue loss from hotel taxes
2) Revenue loss from departure taxes
3) Decreased sales for restaurants
4) Decreased sales for rental car agencies
5) Decreased revenue from marine park tags
6) Decreased donations to school food program
and other non-profits
7) Decreased in revenue from sales taxes
8) Decrease in revenue for dive shops
9) Decrease in overall income tax collections as
overall revenue will be decreased

Tjin Asjoe, my question to you, is this all worth it?

---

quote:

Tjin Asjoe, my question to you, is this all worth it?

---

We have heard that TCB has implemented a questionnaire at the airport for views from stay over visitors to Bonaire. Supposedly they already have 1,000 filled out.

I have not heard any mention of anyone being asked to answer questions or fill out any forms.

Has anyone on this board been asked questions by anyone as they leave the island?

nò cruise barkunan, what actions do you suggest?

Susan, Yes when we left Bon on 4/18 my husband and I were approached as we sat in the departure lounge and asked if we were divers and would we fill out a questionaire. We both were happy to comply. They asked normal "touristy" type questions. I let my feelings be known that I didn't like the island being overrun by cruise ship traffic.

LaDonna

Thank you!

Response from TCB:

Thank you for your comments and concerns about Bonaire and year round cruise ship port calls. TCB is acutely aware of the balance that is necessary for our economy to prosper, especially during these tough global economic times. As for us becoming a Mecca for cruise ships the facts are that – should a Carnival Cruise Lines actually call Bonaire – the overall arrivals will remain the same on an annual basis due to the number of itinerary changes of ships that now make calls. Hence, we will not be expanding, but replacing calls that will be removed from the itinerary.
Should a Carnival Cruise Line call Bonaire, what this will mean is that there will be less strain on the infrastructure since the arrivals will be spaced out over 12 months. On the off months there could be for example an average of one ship every one or two weeks. This will also directly and indirectly benefit the people of Bonaire whose livelihood is tied to both year round and cruise ship visitors.
It is our sincerest intention to see the economy of our island thrive and grow and at the same time working to maintain the nature and culture of the people. We welcome your comments and feedback as we look to the future sustainable growth of Bonaire. SIncerely, TCB

eddie and Bonaireisgreat, please post with your real names on this thread.

I think it is time to lobby for the removal of both Croes as head of TCB and Asjoe as Minister of Economic Affairs. Why? She has very little background or education in sustainable tourism and follows the Aruba-philosophy of tourism, which will never work on Bonaire. He has very little background, education, or knowledge on making a "green" economy work, which is what would make Bonaire prosper.

Hopefully the new coalition government will start making qualifications a major criteria for the professional positions on this island and not political connections. And these two positions should be the first ones for replacement so Bonaire can get on the right track for sustainable tourism and a "green" economy.

nò cruise barkunan wrote: "Very few divers will go elsewhere..."

I can't speak for others, but I will surely be going elsewhere. Bonaire has had many wonderful advantages as a dive destination over the years, but those advantages have never included "inexpensive" or "easy to get to". If Bonaire decides to make positioning itself as a cruise destination a top priority, then many of the island's attributes that have always drawn me back to Bonaire will vanish. If I want to dive on a island over-run by cruise ships, I can go to Cozumel or Key West for half as much money as a Bonaire trip. For me, I think one annual great trip to an Indo-Pacific location will be much preferable to two annual trips to a Bonaire that is in decline above and below the water.

Go somewhere else. I support that.

Unfortunately most of the divers that visit Bonaire have never heard of this message board or even the real truth about the way the Bonaire government and many of it's local residents treat the island.

Most diver visitors still think Bonaire is trying to be green and/or some sort of shining example of environmental awareness. This couldn't be further from the truth.

So, most divers will never hear about what really happens here let alone take their business somewhere else. The lost revenue from a handful of divers is nothing compared to what is gained from a new cruise deal.

that's why a little PR campaign aimed at divers coming to Bonaire might leverage some change. Just a flyer to pass out to all those customers on Delta, Continental etc. informing them of all the "ungreen" activities on Bonaire (from no sewage processing to over-running and deteriorating Lac Bay and Klein Bonaire with cruise passengers) might encourage them to boycott Bonaire until the government and tourist officials prioritize the healing of these reefs and not selling trinkets in the marketplace.

Sure Pauline, great idea. You go and pass out all those flyers.
In the mean time all of us that depend on tourism will just wait until the tourist end the boycott.
Guess you don't depend on a month salary do you?

It's a hard thing to balance Leo.

However, if you are a property/hotel owner that relies on long term rather than daily visitors, then you may be in a future situation where you client base has disappeared.

Cruiser are good for taxi drivers, tour operators, car rental companies and shop owners. For hoteliers, they are of no benefit.

The tourists that come to bonaire are either Divers, those (like me) who look for an alternative to mainstream tourism and people stopping off from Peru after the Inca Trail. Divers will not come when the reef is destroyed, people like me will not come when the streets are full of hawkers and the air is heavy with the stench of fast food outlets.

As Sean Paton said on Sunday, the fact that Bonaire is a little behind the times compared with other resorts is an advantage. It should allow a responsible Government to see the mistakes that other islands have made in their quest for money.

Any business owner who is in it for the long term has a responsibility to look after their investment for the next generation, not just for themselves. Anyone who can't make a living without abusing their surroundings or encouraging others to do so, don't deserve to be in business.

Take a look at this link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/science_and_environment/10103179.stm

Antony, very well said. If those business folks like Leo are depending on tourists for a monthly salary, they might want to pressure the TCB and the government to invest in ecotourism for the long-term and not just short-term, "get rich" schemes for a very few people, like the owner of the Bonaire Gift Shop.

Unfortunately the head of the TCB and her economic minister husband want to Arubacize Bonaire, which will cause the collapse of diving tourism on Bonaire.

Sometimes it seems I am reading a chapter from "The Last Carnavale".
Things change but stay the same(?)
I see both sides of the story.

Next time when I post something it might be better if I introduce myself first.
I'm not a business owner and work for a resort as an instructor. (Don't think I have to explain that I'm not doing this to get rich)
The resort doesn't have any business with cruise ships and I share the opinion with most of you on BT. Just don't think that suggestions like to one you made Pauline, add anything to this thread. Whether us locals like the current situation or not, we still need to pay our bills in the end of the month.

Lorraine
I think you mean "Don't Stop The Carnival"
There are probably hundreds of islands in the Caribbean, indeed around the world that are or will be facing the situation that Bonaire has now.
I think it's safe to say that the crime in any area were people have a tough time making a living is going to be high. I think that the people making decisions on Bonaire now are hoping to improve the future of Bonaire. These decisions will probably change the island to a place we no longer want to go. However there are thousands of people who would rather have a root canal done than spend time in a area with no luxury hotels,casinos,fast food etc. They are the people that the government is aiming at. What the long term result will be is impossible to say. It will surely depress the quality of the reefs. Grand Cayman has been in this situation for decades and people still go there to dive.
Anyhow, I do hope to get back this year. My wife passed away this past March after a year long battle so we did not get there in 2009. I hope I don't find Bonaire changed too much for me to handle.
Mickey
Wow. that's probably the longest post I've ever done.

---

quote:

Unfortunately the head of the TCB and her economic minister husband want to Arubacize Bonaire, which will cause the collapse of diving tourism on Bonaire.

---

Mickey, sorry to hear about your wife passing. It truly brings a tear to my eye... Ron

Hugs Mickey {{{{{{{{{{{{{}}}}}}}}}}}}}}} I am sorry for your loss,,,,

On Aruba there are operators who run a 60 or more passenger snorkel-boat. They fill that boat every single day (maybe even multiple times per day) with folks who pay for looking at eeehhhh sand??? while bopping (??) around in yellow life-vests. They do that already for years and years and to me it looks as if they will keep on doing so for many more. So, I am kind of afraid that "no cruise barkunan" is sort of right that there always will be divers and/or snorkelers here. If they don't arrive by plane (anymore) - they will arrive by boat..... The only ones suffering then are the hotels and maybe the airport but that's all......

Menno and the poster who changes his/her name regularly are right....Bonaire may change (for better or worse, depending on your viewpoint), but the dive industry won't collapse, it will simply evolve to meet the "new" demands.

It is already happening. I think there are a number of dive ops that are already accommodating the cruisers for day-trip dive/snorkel experiences, aren't there?

As for those divers who arrive by air, as long as magazines like Scuba Diving continue to publish glossy spreads depicting the "diving paradise" that is Bonaire, new divers will continue to travel there to see what all the fuss is about. (Those people may not return year after year, but that is another issue altogether....)

And, just to state the obvious, there are a lot more cruisers than there are travel-destination divers in the world. We are the minority. Money talks, and we don't have enough of it to offset the promise that cruise ships bring (especially when so many divers pride themselves on being frugal when it comes to dining out while on Bonaire).

Perhaps the battle shouldn't be framed as "either/or" but perhaps how to mitigate the damage by co-existing?

(Mickey....condolences on your loss.)



(Message edited by lizard0924 on May 11, 2010)

Mickey,
I DID mean The Last Carnivale, written by a man named Sparky, I forgot his last name.
He lived on Bonaire when I first visited , use to sing with Mooke and played a great saxaphone at happy hours, he lived there with his wife Donna. They moved to the Floridia panhandle to open a resturant,awhile ago, good 10yrs at least.
He e-mailed me about his book and I bought a copy, That was awhile back too. I've lost track of my copy. I gave it to someone on Bonaire that I told about it.
Very similiar to Don't Stop Carnivale, but seems to have even more revelance to Bonaire.

Mickey, my condolences to you as well.
I agree with the thing you posted.

Lorraine : Sparky Thorne : The Carnival never ends

Cozumel does alright and it use to be dirt roads in the 70s , as the songs says " Bon will survive "

That's it, close Thanks, Chris. (blonde moment)
Thought it was aomething like that.
I thought I was the only one who read it

As long as there is no infrastructure to support all these cruisers (no sewage processing plant, no environmentally-sustainable landfill for garbage, etc.), it is folly to bring in even more people. I just hope Dutch officials being brought in to address infrastructure problems will solve them before the reefs are totally dead. It would be absurd to think that Scuba magazine would continue to depict Bonaire as a divers' paradise when the reefs are dead rubble.

Did I imagine it did someone from the island state that the year round cruise ship agenda would not increase cruise ship numbers overall for the year. They were going to spread the traffic out instead of having it all hit during the high season. Part of the goal here would be to decrease the reef damage by not hitting it so much all at one time.

Was that missed or are people not believing the person that stated this?

e.

It is true if anyone cares to contact the Harbor Master and check the arrivals as compared to what we have just had.

Time to make a general comment..Yes, I do work as a consultant for the Dept of Tourism but have strong opinions about the economy of the island since I am also a business owner. One point I would like to make is that some of the statements directed at the officials from TCB and the government are disrespectful and while well intended, are not the Bonairean way of showing displeasure. Please if we could make our points but refrain from the disrespect, etc.

Michael, with all due respect what would be the Bonairean way of showing displeasure that would really result in action and not just more empty words? Take the sewage plant, for example--over 25 years of working on it, lots of words (as summarized so well by Jerry Ligon above) and still nothing.

So perhaps the Bonairean way of doing things is not always effective, and, in the end, for those who treasure these reefs, the time for these officials to "step up to the plate" is now so the respect is deserved.

by the way, I would level the same kind of critique of officials in the U.S. whose neglect has resulted in the worst oil spill in U.S. history.

Lorraine
Yes, now that I hear the authors name the title does ring a bell.
Thanks for your condolences
Mick

As Michael points out, things here become a little extreme.

Pauline said, '...the worst oil spill in U.S. history'. I assume she means Deepwater but the oil spill there was smaller than Exxon Valdez (Alaska is in the US) a few days ago and while is isn't capped fully yet and will be destructive of environment, it is small potatoes among worldwide spills. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8664684.stm>

And there is no hard evidence that neglect by US officials 'resulted in' the blowout.

Something we Americans must remember about the lack of progress on the sewage system over the years is that the NA did not have the bond issuing financial mechanism that is used here for long term capital projects like sewage systems. The cost of the work must come from current money. I am sure also that the NA organization with Curacao effectively in charge of taxation and spending didn't help.

Blanket emotional condemnation of officials is always both wrong and counterproductive. It is usually difficult to get the further productive attention of anyone you have blasted in a public forum.

Perhaps Pauline or Jerry will tell us how Bonaire should have raised the money or otherwise made the sewage system happen.

Being one of the persons who has his "hart on the tongue" and easily let my big mouth take over and react before thoroughly thinking the answer/reaction through, I would like to add to this discussion that showing disrespect, as you (Michael) and other officials like to name such reactions, may be triggered because these folks, me for one, are sick and tired to be lied to all the time. Ronella, in her function as TCB director, stated years ago that TCB is not in favor of mass-tourism but the facts show differently. Our government states for some 25 years by now that they are working on a sewage solution but the facts show differently. Respect. Hmmmm..... Nice word. In my book respect you need to earn. In my book you don't earn that by lying to me.

'The facts' show that Bonaire doesn't have a proper sewage system not that officials have not been working at it. How should they have funded it, Menno? Don't they need Curacao's cooperation in the legislature? Did they have it? My comment above on funding stands until someone on island shows me my information is wrong.

What is 'mass tourism'? You are equating that with cruise ships: are they the 'mass tourism' that Ronella spoke against 'years ago'?? I suspect that was referring to a large increase in stay-on-island tourists. Have times changed, or her point of view??? Also R is an employee of the island government and does what her bosses want or loses her job, just like the rest of us, including you, I presume.

I am not in favor of added cruise ship landings on Bonaire either but hot words here are not going to change the island policy, especially calling politicians and officials incompetent, dishonest liars however high the frustration level. For all we know, those people are more frustrated than we are at being unable to accomplish these things. As Menno says, words come easily, too often before the mind is put in gear.

There is an old American saying, 'Don't criticize another person until you have walked a mile in their moccasins'. Very good words and very applicable in this discussion.

I don't know how they should have funded that but I am also not the one who mentioned to work on building one either. I just noticed that in the 10 years I live here now nothing has happened on that front. Sorry for calling such lying. I wonder; Why did they bring it up if they knew there was no way of getting it done. How should (or can) I call/name that without disrespecting someone????

If you don't call an arrival of 3000 passengers excluding another 1000 crew-members with the arrival of one big full boat mass-tourism then I don't know what is. It about doubles the total numbers of tourists on the island even if all hotels etc. are full so I figure such an arrival can be considered mass-tourism. If those numbers arrive by plane, let's say once every other day, I would call that mass-tourism as well. I did not say that Ronella is against cruiseliners, I said she stated that she is against mass-tourism. I left out what she also stated and that is that she is in favor of sustainable tourism. I have no clue what that means looking at the direction the island drifts nomatter how far I walk in some-one else's shoes......

Glen..Personally, I would not use the words "small potatoes among world wide spills" in describing the ongoing event in the Gulf known as the Deep Water spill.

Yes, I read your article from the BBC. Might it be a bit slanted in the presentation of the facts knowing it's source? Between you & me, I suspect so.

Unfortunately I believe the Deepwater spill in the gulf will actually surpass the Valdez. Here's what the info I obtained shows:

1. The Valdez was carrying approximately 53 mil gals, of this 11 million gals spilled along Prince William Sound's Bligh Reef. This was recorded as the largest spill in US history, and one of the largest ecological disasters.

2. The "official" stats (provided by none other than BP) is that the uncapped well 1 mile deep is spilling approximately 200k gals per day. The "unofficial rate" is closer to 2 mil gals per day.
Of course the question is, "who are you going to believe"? This has been going on since April 20th. For arguments sake, want to take the figure in the middle?

3.The current pollution exposure of the Deepwater is in excess 2500 sq miles! And it's growing and as I type this, there is no end in sight. The Valdez geographical exposure no where near this.

We all know what will happen if this spill get carried by the gulf stream along the eastern seaboard (or do we really)? Unfortunately, this disaster has not unfolded yet and the oil is still flowing or is gushing a better word? Time will certainly tell the tale.

Responsibility? As I indicated in another post on this subject there is MORE THAN ENOUGH to go around to all involved parties which also includes the US Federal Government who was obviously asleep at the wheel for a multitude of reasons. It is unfortunate that these folks up on Capital Hill are now "backpedaling" and pointing fingers at all the "bad guys" and now trying to retroactively change their own ill conceived legislation implemented after the Valdez to make themselves look good. The hypocrisy amongst all is numbing.

Bonaire had the funds, Euros, that were ready to be distributed within a financially secure framework to Bonaire, but, the island leaders decided to try for another referendum on our Holland-BES status. Their tactics were underhanded. They fired up the people by using remarks like "Colonists taking advantage of us", "too many Dutch would now come to Bonaire, and we would be overrun." I really think the 'leaders were afraid of the higher level of competition that would be generated by a more worldly view brought here by the Dutch. In other words, even their positions would be jeopardized when the new arrivals from Holland began to take part in the local government by filing for government positions. My two cents worth is that these leaders were more worried about their future that they were about what was good for Bonaire-like sewage plant, re-surfacing of the airport runways, road repairs, funds to upgrade education, police and security.

Jerry.. I do think a lot of folks will agree with you! I am one of them.

Jerry, let's just hope their fears become a reality--that there are some qualified people coming from Holland to replace the ones who have few qualifications for the jobs they hold--like in Economic Affairs, Selibon, etc.

And Menno, I am with you, public officials need to earn respect. And, in my book, Nicolaas, Abraham, Croes, and Asjoe, among others, do not deserve it. They have lied and worse they have put their own personal agendas ahead of both the people and nature of Bonaire. Bonaire deserves better!

Unfortunately, that seems to be the nature of people who seek public office. They typically do so out of ambition, rather than with a servant heart. So they make rules that benefit their own elitist lifestyle and leave the rest of us to pay for it and get no benefits from it.

e.

Eric, I've lived and worked in Washington DC for 22 years, and have met a fair number of people who seek public office. I'd say there are good examples of what you say, but in general it is not true. If anything, they are TOO committed to being a public servant, because of an overabundance of self-confidence that they can make a difference for the better. Two things go wrong: (1) their sense of "better" may not match yours; and (2) they can't have any effect if they don't get reelected, so they end up doing and saying those things that keep them elected....which may not be the things that make a difference for the better.

So the whole process is a self-defeating prophecy, which has only worked in the past because of reasonable compromise. But with an increasingly shrill opposition structure, compromise is no longer valued. The system is broken. If everything has to be painted black or white, and every issue is turned into win or lose, we lose all the nuances and middle grounds which have allowed for progress in the past.

I suspect it will get worse before it gets better.

I think we just see the same problem from two different angles. Agree that the system is broke. Why, I guess is up for debate.

e.

Jerry has the right reason (the new referendum desired by one political party for its's own purposes) for the recent pause in progress using the money newly available from Holland as part of the new alignment, which reinforces my point that before that there was little the island could do. Bonaire does have some good politicians who brought the change into place. Let's hope that good sense will prevail again.

Mel is also right on, unfortunately. Strong positive feedback from one side in that process in the last few decades has been overriding common sense.

Winston Churchill said, roughly, that democracy with all it's flaws is the best system of government we know; still true but it takes work to keep. Reagan added that we are always only one generation away from dictatorship. Also true today.

the 2010-2011 schedule is out .. it begins September 25th with one ship then nothing until October 12 and ends may 4th ..so indeed for now it is not year around...Carnival lines is not coming to Bonaire in that time period ..

the 2010-2011 schedule is out .. it begins September 25th with one ship then nothing until October 12 and ends may 4th ..so indeed for now it is not year around...Carnival lines is not coming to Bonaire in that time period ..