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

[scuba127]

According to the Bonaire Reporter Cruise Ship passengers won't have to pay.....I disagree with that....maybe $40 is too steep for a one day stay but they should be paying something if divers have to pay $40....which I personally don't have a problem with as long as its used to maintain the Bonaire Marine Park...

 

[tarponchik]

Spear fishing, with the exception of Lionfish, with a very specific spear (a registered ELF) is prohibited on Bonaire and I have seen divers have their equipment and park permits taken by STINAPA in the past.

1st, these guys were not divers, they were snorkelers. 2nd, in Bonaire, I've never seen any kind of activity by park authorities at any of the dive sites whatsoever.

 

[wwguy]

This update was published today on the Bonaire Reporter's Facebook page:

"Just after 9 am today acting Marine Park Manager Leonel Martijn announced that the price increase for Marine Park Dive Tags and Nature Fee is postponed until March 1, 2019. Cruise ships will still be free. This does NOT mean the price increase from $25 to $45, and from $10 to $25 respectively, has been rescinded, but it means that STINAPA will have less income for the first two months of 2019 than if the fees began on January 1, 2019 as the new rules mandated."

 

[scubadada]

This update was published today on the Bonaire Reporter's Facebook page:

"Just after 9 am today acting Marine Park Manager Leonel Martijn announced that the price increase for Marine Park Dive Tags and Nature Fee is postponed until March 1, 2019. Cruise ships will still be free. This does NOT mean the price increase from $25 to $45, and from $10 to $25 respectively, has been rescinded, but it means that STINAPA will have less income for the first two months of 2019 than if the fees began on January 1, 2019 as the new rules mandated."

Interesting that the increase looks to be to $45 rather than to $40

 

[gbf]

They don't get it.

It's just not about the money. $45 or $100 is just not enough money to cause anguish. Diving is an expensive hobby. An additional 25/75 bucks once or twice per year is a drop in the bucket (at least for me - I bet I have $500 worth of "dive gear" that lies unused in a crate upstairs because I bought something that didn't turn out to be useful - but I had to have it. And I add to the pile frequently.)

Go back and read WWGUY's cut and paste from TCB's strategic plan (post 8, page 1 of this thread).

That's what it is about. The $45 was just the trigger.

 

[dmaziuk]

Go back and read WWGUY's cut and paste from TCB's strategic plan (post 8, page 1 of this thread).

In the "it" profession, that's a pretty standard marketing brochure aimed at CEOs who make purchasing decisions that, according to Peter Principle, they are not competent to make.

 

[darook]

I have been checked once for my tag in 10 trips to the island and that was at Salt Pier where there was a line of trucks. I have never seen them doing any fishing enforcement. I think the Capt. Dons dive manager's rant on FB was pretty spot on. Don't just buy more boats and trucks that are parked at HQ. Get out there and do something! At this point, I really don't care about the increase or the cruise ships. I can avoid the pod people. I want Stinapa to do their job. Bust illegal fisherman, make your presence felt along the shore diving sites to dissuade thieves, document what the cruise ships do to the reef etc.

 

[lmorin]

We've been going to Bonaire for 4-6 wks/yr since 2008 and been checked for tags once.

 

[gbf]

I've been on a tear about this since wwguy's original post. My young daughter sorta brought me to a screeching halt by simply announcing "I wanna go to Bonaire this summer with you and mom".

So, we'll be going, I guess.

For me, it's not about the $ or about enforcement - I've never been checked for a tag, since mid 90's. I don't think I've ever even spoken to a Stinapa ranger, and I've seen many of the same activities described above.

But I believe the lack of enforcement, while distressing, is a grain of sand compared to the development plans expressed.

Imagine, if you will, a Bonaire with lots more cruise ships than today, but also Margate Bay with a high rise shore-side resort complete with artificial sand beach.

Now replicate that all the way north to Kralendijk. THAT is what I fear, and based on trajectory - and the plans laid out in the TCB strategic plan - I have no reason to doubt that an attempt will be made to get there. The development surge may, and probably will fail for any number of reasons I can imagine.

But I fear it will be too late to strategically plan to go back and become "the home of diving freedom" ever again.

I guess I need to just cool my jets and let it play out. This too will probably happen on island time and I'll be dead and gone.

 

[wwguy]

Same here. 35+ weeks diving Bonaire over 20+ years and have only seen a STINAPA ranger talking to divers once... at Salt Pier parking lot on a busy day.