What do you think about diving user fees?

[God Morgon]

It has come to my attention that the Philippine Goverment wants to implement Divers user fees in the area around Panglao/Bohol. The general Idea is to start charging scuba Divers and Snorkelers a user fee for every dive. In addition to that they want to charge extra for Videocamaras or Photocamaras.

There Plan is 3 US$/Dive and 10 US$/Camara/Dive

What do you think about this fees and how much would you be willing to spend???

Best regards God Moron

 

[k4man]

How exactly do they plan to monitor this...who has paid and for how many dives, etc.??

In reality, all of us who do resort boat dives do exactly the same thing! 2-tank morning dive= $$$, 1-tank dive in afternoon= $$, and so on...

 

[Divmstr223]

Bravo Sierra!! that's about how much I'd pay. That's just plain silly...:shakehead

 

[louisianadiver]

This is not exactly a new idea. For example, Bonaire has declared itself a marine park and charges every diver a fee to dive there. If the money is used to preserve the area and to provide dive infrastucture, I don't think it's a bad thing at all. My 2 cents'. -Clay

 

[KazooDiver]

I dont think that they are the only place that does it...If remember we had to pay a "park" fee to dive in cozumel and wear a tag while diving. And I am pretty sure we had a similar tax in curacao (but I could be wrong). If memory serves me correctly the tax(or whatever you want to call it) was built in to the diving fee charged by the dive op....

 

[Meng_Tze]

How exactly do they plan to monitor this...who has paid and for how many dives, etc.??

In reality, all of us who do resort boat dives do exactly the same thing! 2-tank morning dive= $$$, 1-tank dive in afternoon= $$, and so on...

Oh, quite simple.... put the burden on the operators. see it as a sales tax.......

Easy to do.... smart? Maybe not. How many people would not go anymore and what do you get in return? Better service, better operators? I dunno

 

[alcina]

I don't mind user fees as long as they are fairly and equitably applied to all users. To charge photographers more than the average diver or to charge divers and snorkellers differently is simply ridiculous, imho.

In an ideal world, I would only be happy to pay fees to an area where the fees went to actively protecting the area, education about the area and other expenses that truly improved the area. Just so government department can make a buck (and I know of what I speak) just grinds my axe.

 

[jeraldjcook]

If I recall, when I dove the Spiegel and the surrounding reefs in Florida we had to have a medallion of sorts that signified we paid a fee. This sound familar to anyone else? I don't have a problem with fees if it is used to protect the reefs and the fees aren't too high. But 3x the fee to bring a camera is crazy.

 

[pakman]

I think Manila is suffering electrical blackouts due to a nasty typhoon today. I know our company's Manila office was closed for the day so you probably won't be hearing too many responses from the local filipino SB members today.

I was just in Panglao/ Bohol area. Really enjoyed the diving there, but I think as usual, the greedy gov't is going to screw things up for everyone, with this crackpot scheme. Sorry, Bohol has some great diving, but if I, as a u/w camera wielding diver, am gonna get charged that much PER DIVE, I'm not returning. Sorry, I'd rather spend my $ somewhere else, whether within the Philippines or in neighboring countries. Neighboring Dumaguete does have "sanctuary" fees but I don't think they're that high. And I don't recall being nailed for any camera fee.

Now if the fees are going to be used to create sanctuaries, well maybe it might work as it has in other areas of the philippines but I think they're gonna have to bring the fees down to comparable levels. $3/ dive AND a $10/dive/ camera is just downright silly.

 

[Narcd_dvr]

What $3/dive and $10/dive/camera??!!! Thats insane and if that gets passed into law, well, some government officials are making out like bandits. I have no problem with diving fees in general, as long as they're reasonable AND used for protecting the reefs and building new sanctuaries. For instance, I went diving in Gato island, we paid $2 to dive there and yet the rangers assigned to monitor the park, didnt have a motorized boat to patrol the area - go figure.