Marine park fee

[pword]

What does the marine park fee in Cozumel fund? Is the whole island protected? Some of my snorkel tour ops list this as a line item charge (a few dollars) and I am happy to pay if it goes back to protecting the reef through enforcement and/or conservation purposes. But I am having difficulty reconciling reef protection on Cozumel after the disturbing thread about destroying/moving part of the reef to make room for more cruise ships.

 

[RhodeDiver]

its just a way for the government to get their cut of the action.... a tax.

 

[MMM]

Unfortunately, it doesn't go toward Cozumel exclusively. It is a tax by the national government to support national parks throughout Mexico.

 

[mstevens]

A majority of the island is not within the Marine Park, which runs from the reef they're wrecking for the cruise pier extention around the southern tip of the island. A majority of the popular dive sites are within the Marine Park.

Fees are supposed to go to parks including the Marine Park, which does do some education programs for divemasters and which does have enforcement officers and boats. I'd be surprised if anyone knows for sure just where all the money goes, though.

 

[Mike]

What does the marine park fee in Cozumel fund? Is the whole island protected? Some of my snorkel tour ops list this as a line item charge (a few dollars) and I am happy to pay if it goes back to protecting the reef through enforcement and/or conservation purposes. But I am having difficulty reconciling reef protection on Cozumel after the disturbing thread about destroying/moving part of the reef to make room for more cruise ships.

Just because wheels can turn on development projects that are deemed to be financially beneficial to the island and effect a small part of the reef system doesn't mean that the entire reef system is a free for all and unprotected. Just the establishment of a marine park itself is incredibly beneficial anywhere it's done, when you have actual enforcement of the rules which does take place in Cozumel, that's just icing on the cake.

 

[mstevens]

I'd prefer that they'd never sought the cruise business and built so many piers in the first place, and I'm really irritated about Paradise. However, Mike is right in pointing out that Cozumel has done a pretty good job of recognizing where their treasure lies and working to preserve it.

There's a reason this was kept secret from locals until it had already started - things could have become violent.

 

[Christi]

What does the marine park fee in Cozumel fund? Is the whole island protected? Some of my snorkel tour ops list this as a line item charge (a few dollars) and I am happy to pay if it goes back to protecting the reef through enforcement and/or conservation purposes. But I am having difficulty reconciling reef protection on Cozumel after the disturbing thread about destroying/moving part of the reef to make room for more cruise ships.

Mike and mstevens have pretty much covered it - but just an additional note in reference to the condition you place on paying it. The 2.25 per day fee is not optional, we don't get to say, "ok Mr. diver, you don't have to pay this fee if you don't agree with it" - so if you want to dive or snorkel here, you will have to pay it.

 

[Mossman]

As Christi says, it's not an option. You don't have to be happy to pay it, but who wants to be unhappy on a vacation? Put it in your budget and forget about it. If you want to stick it anyone, stick it to the gouging taxi drivers by walking instead of cabbing wherever you can: it's good exercise, more scenic, and more interactive.

 

[Sue Sue]

I am also very disappointed that another piece of Paradise has been lost to the cruise ship industry. How this latest round of destruction came to be is most likely, IMMHO, something that was not going to be stopped regardless of public opinion or protest. For that matter, perhaps this pier appendage had been a preapproved plan that Carnival/Mexican govt has had in place since the original pier was constructed. Regardless, the Marine Park fee is not optional, pay it and dive the rest of the beautiful reefs of Cozumel or don't pay it and don't dive ....

 

[AZjohn]

So how does one dive op know you paid the daily fee from another dive op?
I ask because I have my morning dives are set up with Dive Paradise and the afternoon dives with Aldora.

Thanks,
John