Reeflover once bubbled...
Many dive locations around the world are charging some kind of "fee" and many more will be. As someone stated, in Cozumel they charge a fee and you wear a bracelet the whole time you dive there. No bracelet....no diving.
In Coz, the dive boats are supposed to charge a fee/day, and that fee is *supposed* to go into a fund to preserve/protect the marine park.
However, there are no bracelets to wear, or anything else like that. Also, as I understand it, dive operators are supposed to get the money up-front every day before you dive, but my operator did no such thing, and I paid them at the end when I settled my bill.
The people that wear bracelets in Coz are people at the all-inclusives, which are their 'key' into the grounds so they can get all the free booze and food they are entitled to.
Like Coz, I suspect the $10 fee in the Keys *usually* ends up in the right places, but I suspect some dive operators end up pocketing some of that money. At least with the Medallion, you have a little bit of accountability for both the diver and boats. If they boats get 10 medallions, they better pony up $100 at some point to the Key Largo 'fund'. Plus, divers who dive the SG have something to remember it by (besides their dive log notes), and if you dive it alot, you only have to pony up the fee once/year.
In Coz (and other sites), it's once/day. (Not that I'm complaining mind you, since I still think Mexico still gives you the best bang for you buck!).
Nate