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Divers and Conservation

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dc_steph

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Messages
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Location
Cyprus
# of dives
50 - 99
I'm going to pose a question out to everyone. Why are divers and the dive industry not more involved in Reef/Marine Conservation?

Just think about:
1. Have you ever done a clean-up dive?
2. Do you know dive shops/operators/liveaboards that run clean-up dives regularly (not just for earth day)
3. Have you supported any legislation that protects reef/marine life?
4. Would you be willing to give up your plastic bags?
5. Do your dive shops/liveaboards/resorts recycle or are they eco-friendly?
6. Why do we allow divers who can't control their bouyancy have a camera? because they kick the reefs and kick up sediment.
7. Would you support local governments/operators to close diving sites for 2-3 years so they can regenerate? (in theory, we all say yes but personally, what would you say if you couldn't dive the Thistlegorm in the Red Sea or Blue Hole in Belize?)

This is what I mean by getting more involved - not just donating money to Project Aware or Hepca.


What are your thoughts? What can we do to protect our playgrounds?
 
I am involved almost every day of my life whether I'm in the water or not. I create DVDs, two cable TV shows and write a weekly newspaper column about marine life and conservation. I help other divers learn more about what they saw during their dives to enhance the enjoyment of diving and to better understand (and hopefully want to protect) the critters they see.

Unfortunately I'm still grappling with #4 above (although I do keep 99% of my plastic bags and turn them in at a local recycling station.
 
You bring up some good points and I think most of us could be doing more, myself included, but I also think that in some ways diving is a form of conservation in itself, in that it brings in tourism dollars which if managed properly results in longterm sustainable development and in theory reduces short term development, i.e. overfishing.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Magical-Places--Cocos-Island
 
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