rotational diving

[Bridget Armstrong]

Dear all
Can you please advise on the usefulness of rotating popular dive sites to
prevent cumulative damage at certain sites ? My gut feel is that the
rotational times would have to be quite lengthy (tens of years ?) to allow
for the recovery times of any damaged coral - making it impractical in
reality.

Do any of you practise this method of mitigating diver impacts, and has it
proved effective ?

Would it not be preferable to rather spread the diving effort over a larger
area, and impose a limit on the number of divers so that each site has a
ecologically sustainable diving intensity ? This is obviously within a
framework of having a network of permanently designated no-diving areas
(sanctuaries).

Many thanks
Bridget Armstrong
KZN Wildlife
South Africa