Marine Park "Nature Fee" increases to $40 effective January 1, 2019

[tarponchik]

I know I paid park fees in Cozumel, Roatan, Socorro and Cabo Pulmo......not sure about Belize. They were just included in the dive price. The only place I'm pretty sure I didn't pay is Anilao and Sabang in the Philippines, but I don't think we were diving in parks. We are paying a fee to dive Apo Reef in the Philippines.

You can always come to BC to dive. It's cold and you'll need a drysuit but we won't charge you to dive. We may charge you to park your car and will definitely ding you 12% on most things you buy, but no Marine park fees.

Who needs BC when there is Florida?

 

[scubadada]

You got my blessing! We already decided we are not going back there again after our last trip in 2014. Fewer turtles and morays, groupers and large parrotfish species wiped out, corals in bad shape, often covered with red slimy algae, etc. There is not much left there to see. If they want to turn themselves into another Aruba (and Curacao is already heading this way), this is their choice, but we do not want to watch or God forbid, pay for the transition.

You must be diving someplace other than where I am. Good luck in your future diving

 

[gbf]

$40 ain't even the tip for a night out on Bon for my crew.

But the $40 isn't the point.

OK. What's the point?

The $40 (a $15 increase) is a drop in the bucket for a visiting diver. Take a look at the "park/port" fees charged by Honduras (110), Belize(125), Ecuador(120), et. al. These other destinations may be no better with regard to preservation, but at least they don't publish documents that lecture me and explicitly lay out their plans to diminish the marine park.

The $40 (or $100 if they wanna make it that, only a slightly larger drop and not really unreasonable) is not a usage fee - if the point was to protect and preserve it wouldn't bother me one bit to pay it - and it never has. But that is not the point. The point is to fund development for the non/little-paying cruisers.

That's fine if that is what they want to do - after all, their island, their rules.

But I don't have to attend.

 

[wwguy]

I just paid $95 for a marine park fee for the Caymans on the Aggressor V for a one week visit, worth every penny. I spend 4 weeks a year in Bonaire, $10 a week for me, about 12.5 cents per dive, again, will be worth every cent. The Bonaire thread is starting to remind me of the Cozumel thread, where posters debate every penny spent. I'd be perfectly happy if less of you come to Bonaire, all the less crowded for the rest of us. $15 increase in Marine Park fee, $20 for nitrox, a drop in the scuba bucket for some of the best diving in the Caribbean

As several have already mentioned, the incremental fee increase dollar amount is a non-issue for most, including me. The greater issue is that TCB and the Bonaire Hotel and Tourism Association (BONHATA) are aggressively driving to grow non-diver tourism on the island. At the same time, STINAPA is increasing their operating revenue by increasing the tax on divers by 65% while simultaneously turning a blind eye towards the cruisers who make up the vast majority of tourism growth on the island for the past decade or so. So they're increasing the tax on the tourism segment that's "underperforming" in order to support unfunded expenses associated with growth in the segment they hope to grow.

You appear to be thinking like a typical tourist consumer, rationalizing your feelings in terms of the value you perceive from the expense and comparing the cost to your perceived cost vs. value of other destinations. There's nothing wrong with that from a tourist's perspective, but it's a somewhat myopic approach if you care much about the big picture and long-term effects of this growth on the island's increasingly fragile ecosystem. Bonaire is entering new territory, and a new future, by clearly stating that "For too long Bonaire’s development vision was grounded on a narrow vision of nature first. This narrow vision has shaped and hindered the frontier of possibility for Bonairians. The time has come to broaden this vision for people and nature to live in harmony by way of a blue economy." This is the primary issue we should all be concerned about.

Enjoy it while you can. Bonaire is banking on people that think like you to bolster and grow their new tourism base. But you're kidding yourself if you think "less crowded" is in Bonaire's future. Their plan is for exactly the opposite of that.

 

[darook]

@wwguy related question. I got a new tag this February. I know I am good through the end of December. Would it be good for the first week of January too? I was assuming I would need a new on on New Years Day. Maybe I don't! Divi made me buy one in February even though I had bought one in December 2017. I didn't believe Serge when he was telling me I had to but did it anyway.

It sounds like everyone is chapped about the (economically under-performing) divers being targeted for increased fees while the sunscreen soaked, souvenir seeking, excursioners from the cruise ships can stomp around on the coral for free. Me too. The $ are not the issue, it is killing the golden goose that put the island on anyone's radar. Rest assured that the Hague regrets making Bonaire a more expensive problem for themselves. I don't think they will let a destroyed ecosystem get in the way of that. I will certainly be seeking and sharing opinions on the matter when I get there in a few weeks.

On the upside, I think we may be nearing peak-cruise industry. They are getting a lot of black eyes in the media for being massive polluters and efficient Norwalk virus infecters.

 

[gbf]

I liked/unliked so I could like twice.

 

[scubafanatic]

Maybe in a back-handed sort of way, the Bonaire authorities have already admitted 'ecological defeat' with respect to their reef conditions (rapidly declining for many years now) by focusing on how the island looks topside for goosing future tourism, as the battle for the reefs is pretty much lost and defeat inevitable. All the land lubbers/cruisers care about or see is the surface of the water, as long as it still looks pretty blue/aquamarine colored and shows up pretty in all the travel photos/brochures, nobody is going to lift-up-the-covers and see the ugly underwater conditions. Divers are a declining power there and have already declined in economic importance enough already for the authorities to publicly write them off as economically irrelevant.

 

[morecowbells]

What's next, a 'Swim With Dolphins' park?

 

[Ray and Pam]

I love Bonaire style diving, don't care about the politics. Extra $15 is nothing, stay somewhere on island cheaper and save hundreds.
But... what is the fee for?
Thought it was for protecting the marine park area.
Was really shocked at all the fishing going on during last Septembers vacation.
A huge net was out at Toris Reef, there were 1000s of fish in this thing and it was out for at least a week, was told STINAPA allows it once year, local custom thing. They were selling the fish out of ice chest on the side of the road by the inlet to salt pans. The guy with the stringer was at Salt Pier and someone on the pier was also fishing. Came out of Oil Slick one evening and a guy was fishing, and from Carib Inn looking south someone was casting from shore one evening. Also a lot of vehicles with fishing poles in the back.

 

[agd]

The "study referred o in wwguys page one post was first linked by scuba dada in January of this year Here is what I said about it then:

That is a very good link, scubadada.

The very concise executive précis:

The tourism board has hired a company that essentially recommends that the entity that hired them should have access to loads of more finances, directly and unencumbered by any other body.

The entire economic improvement of the island should be on the backs of the visitors.

Wring every last penny from every visitor through increased fees and taxes.

Turn the island into a high end vacation spot.

My thoughts:

Bonaire is a wonderful place to come to experience the legendary "dive freedom". Compared to other places, the diving itself is not spectacular, but the option of going where and when you want and diving how you want is it's unique charm and is what makes diving in Bonaire so appealing.

It is not, nor will it ever be, an exclusive destination. It is not Mustique or St Bart's and they can subsidize construction of 4 star resorts until they bankrupt themselves, but it will never be the lush, green, palm studded, powder sand beach destination that will deflect the people that want that from the places that have it.

Their suggestion to subsidize airlines to increase tourism to Bonaire is seriously misdirected, because anyway you look at it, it becomes a closed loop where the revenue must be extracted from tourists one way or the other.

Tourism revenue already surpasses Cargill, BOPEC and everything else. Kiteboarders, wind surfers, European vacationers and, especially, divers come to Bonaire for a pleasant, good value experience. Squeeze too hard and those visitors will move on to better value places in the Caribbean shores of Central America or elsewhere. Don't kill the goose with the, if not golden, but at least silver egg.

So I hope that the authorities in Bonaire cut their losses on the study, throw it in the bin and carefully cultivate their existing strengths.

Andy

This increase appears to be the first step down that ill considered path. I reiterate, Bonaire will never be Mustique and forsaking the so called underperforming diving crowd will not change that

I agree with others who have said that for someone going full on diving, it is not a major impediment. But for a couple who only wish to splash around a couple of times during the week and do a 4 hour loop around the park, $80 is heavy. I also take issue with the tone of the Facebook post, whatever that is worth.

Andy