Liveaboards banned from a region twice the size of Raja Ampat.+

[Wingy]

Hey Dave yes im aware of the sultanate/provinces/regencies or whatever they want to call them at the moment - minor eek avoided when I looked through the route map of the trip and checked the ''boundaries'' of the sultanates. The map you provided of the ''exclusion zone" makes it pretty clear why Tambora have set their subsequent trip routes where they have. I had a google of extra divers.....shaking my head.

I was looking at a map of mining leases throughout the general RA - West Papua area, glad im going in 13 days not 13 months - if the pics I have of Bangka over a 2 year time span - makes me sad but not shocked about the future of the area. How did you find the Tambora? im really looking forward to this trip particularly as ive tried to get to Ternate for about a decade (reasons other than the diving) without success so when this trip came up I jumped on it.

I have a love/hate relationship with Indonesia.........if it wasnt for the diving Id steer well clear of the entire country. Hopefully Joko being elected might bring about a small change in attitude, but as Matts said, its Indonesia.

 

[Wisnu]

From my trusted source, apparantly the regency was "over excited" or over promissed with development of land based resort at the area - they could be jealous with LOBs. I don't want to speculate about the coruption or bribery although is not impossible
anyway, the issues has reached the minister of tourism who invites all relevant parties to meet at 8 September. Will see the outcome

 

[Hintermann]

Forgive me if I sound selfish, but I have an expensive 11-day North-South cruise booked for Raja Ampat in November. This liveaboard ban will not affect traditional RA dive sites, will it?

 

[highdesert]

Forgive me if I sound selfish, but I have an expensive 11-day North-South cruise booked for Raja Ampat in November. This liveaboard ban will not affect traditional RA dive sites, will it?

Hardly the same neighborhood. I'd guesstimate you have about a 100km buffer from Misool, more from north RA.

BodeBlog ? Tauchen in Indonesien

 

[Indah]

I would be interested to read the local law about this topic. The letter Michael Bode mentioned on his blog says nothing about not allowing live aboards. Only that the local government is looking for investors to open a resort. And that they not are interested in live aboards to cooperate with.
Anyway, we are always willing to share our information and to give our gps coordinates of the dive sites, to live aboards visiting Weda Bay at the East coast of Central Halmahera and around the Island Rao, West off Morotai, North Halmahera, I just finished a two months survey around Rao and found incredible good spots.

 

[latifah]

Hi

I just read from forumselam.com ? View topic - Liveboard dilarang di Halmahera selatan? about this monopoly issue, a member of this forumselam wrote:
"sekarang kasus tersebut sedang diupayakan untuk diselesaikan. pihak kementrian pariwisata sudah secara resmi memanggil pihak terkait untuk koordinasi tanggal 8 sept besok. wakil dari jaringan kapal rekreasi (jangkar) sedianya akan hadir. belum tau apakah dari pihak pemerintah halmahera selatan akan nongol. mudah2an bisa mendapatkan hasil yang menyenangkan untuk para diver"

"The case is now being sought to be resolved. The ministry of tourism has officially call on relevant parties to coordinate on 8th of Sept tomorrow. Representative of jaringan kapal rekreasi (jangkar) expected to attend, however it is no known whether the representative of southern Halmahera's government will come to the meeting. Hopefully the result of this meeting will be positive for the divers."

I also hope that the result of that meeting will be positive for the other phinisi boats, because I want to sail over Halmahera (the whole island) once my phinisi is ready to go.

Latifah

 

[Indah]

I would be interested to read the local law about this topic. The letter Michael Bode mentioned on his blog says nothing about not allowing live aboards. Only that the local government is looking for investors to open a resort. And that they not are interested in live aboards to cooperate with.
Anyway, we are always willing to share our information and to give our gps coordinates of the dive sites, to live aboards visiting Weda Bay at the East coast of Central Halmahera and around the Island Rao, West off Morotai, North Halmahera, I just finished a two months survey around Rao and found incredible good spots.

 

[chillyinCanada]

The way my father tells Matt's story goes like this:

Person exasperated, confounded and complaining.

My dad: "where did you wake up this morning?"

Person looks at my father in confusion. "In my bed."

"Think bigger" my dad says.

Dad just keeps looking at them expectantly until he see's the dawning on their face.

Then Dad nods, smiles and says "that's right, Jakarta".