[Coral-List] Diver distance from Reef

Wed Jul 31 20:43:49 EDT 2013

This is a thread that surfaces periodically.
Many good points are being raised.  The burden is on all, not just one group.  Alex Brylske's point about the impracticality of 'keeping the distance' hits on one of the issues - enforceable, non-dissuading measures to police divers is not an easy route.

The damage done by incompetent divers coming on board for 'reef cleanups', 'lionfish derbies' and the like probably exceed an perceived benefits of the activity.  Yet they are ways to fill boats.
A DM or diveguide who is overly intrusive can kiss his/her tips goodbye.  
Once more, the issue of managing divers becomes relatively thorny, one that would not be easily embraced by the dive industry.

That said - if divers would choose conscientious dive operations, operations that are careful in their operation, enforcement of house rules and deploy DM/diveguides that show the same level of care in protecting the environment, money would now once again talk.

Many years back at a NAUI IQ I gave a presentation on the responsibility of divers, instructors and other industry representatives to patronize operations that fit that frame.  I have seen many trespasses by divers, instructors and dive operations - anchoring practices, collection of game that were 'short', game collecting in environmentally harmful manner, etc.  I am sure all have seen this.  But I have seen operations that were stellar.  I have dove and continue to dive with divers of all walks that did their outmost to care for the reef, the environment.  Sadly I have dove with those that were either clueless or did not care.  Again they were from all levels and backgrounds.  And sadly I still see them.

The idea is to not patronize those operations that do not respect the environment, do not run an environmentally clean operation.

Again this may be easier said done, but it would be a start.

Education, training and 'speaking up' indeed are essential but more proactive approaches are in order.

To mitigate 'diver mediated damage', a free 'Underwater Naturalist' or 'Peak Buoyancy' or like course could be offered.  I know, 'free course' gives dive shops shudders, but the externalities could in part compensate for the 'free'.  I would think that 'free course' would attract divers to that operation.
Another option: Alex - how about if Dive Training Magazine institutes a diving 'Yelp', where comments on dive operations, organizations and other industry players can be posted.  Would it be a perfect solution?  Obviously not, but it may set up a mind set - Divers would, hopefully, choose the operation that has good reviews - good reputations and 'ecofriendly' ratings.  In turn dive operations, in order to retain customers and expand client base, would try to improve in those areas to better their rating.  It works for restaurants.  A statistic that is thrown about is that an 1 star increase on Yelp translates to 5-7% increase in customers (So Yelp claims)

On the other hand dealing with diver incompetence or simple disregard - that is a less tractable issue.  

Esat Atikkan

Esat Atikkan

--------------------------------------------
On Tue, 7/30/13, Alex Brylske <brylske at me.com> wrote:

 Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Diver distance from Reef
 To: "Steve Mussman" <sealab at earthlink.net>
 Cc: "coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov" <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>, "Gregor Hodgson" <gregorh at reefcheck.org>, "Rene Kantun" <renekantun at hotmail.com>
 Date: Tuesday, July 30, 2013, 6:20 PM

 The very idea that some minimum
 distance can be set (let alone enforced) to keep divers away
 from reefs is absurd, and reflects a complete lack of
 understanding of how the resort scuba industry/community
 operates. Steve's suggestion that the effort should be
 placed on training more professional divemasters is really
 the only way to achieve the objective of reducing impact.
 (Forget changing diver training standards; it will never
 happen.) However, several programs to accomplish such a goal
 have been attempted (an area in which I have consideration
 experience—including my own doctoral dissertation) but
 have fallen flat on their face, in part, due to lack-luster
 support from the diving industry. So, Steve is also spot on
 regarding how one can't depend on "training agencies" to
 develop—or more than tacitly support—such efforts. In my
 view, government resource managers have to get involve with
 the force of law if this issue is to be addressed
 effectively. The diving industry is, after all, an industry,
 and like any other will always defer to short-term economic
 considerations. I'd love to see something like this happen,
 but I've been involved with the diving industry at virtually
 every level since 1971, and I'm certainly not going to hold
 my breath. Hopefully, I'm just an old crumudgeonly skeptic
 and some Gen-Xer will prove me wrong, so good luck.

 But I will somewhat disagree with Steve's point about the
 industry's position on climate change. He's right that there
 is no position, but that's because some of the most
 important opinion-makers in the industry are climate change
 deniers! Now you perhaps understand why I'm so skeptical.
 However, understand that my comments are limited to North
 American diving industry. (Unfortunately, the one that still
 drives international efforts.) I have little insight into
 other regions.

 Alex Brylske

 On Jul 29, 2013, at 8:31 PM, Steve Mussman <sealab at earthlink.net>
 wrote:

 > 
 >   To all,
 >   This   thread   exposes   the   practical   difficulties 
 inherent  in
 >   developing protocols designed to
 protect coral reefs from damage imposed by
 >   divers. I'm not sure that a mandated
 minimum distance is the best approach
 >   although a suggested range might be
 recommended.
 >    There  are  several 
 factors  to  consider in addition to the obvious
 >   problems of enforcement that would be
 central to any strict minimum distance
 >   regulation. Even a two meter limit
 presents hazards to coral reefs if divers
 >   are incompetent while a skilled diver
 can hover innocuously at a much closer
 >   range.  Photography, 
 lionfish  hunting,  night  diving, 
 caverns  and
 >   swim-throughs all present additional
 challenges to strict distance limits.
 >    Based  on  my 
 experiences,  requiring  well trained dive masters
 who
 >   can educate,  guide and oversee a
 limited number of divers is the best
 >   solution. Dive masters in the Yucatan
 and other regions are generally highly
 >   motivated,  conscientious and
 truly care about protecting their reefs.
 >   Empower them and let them use their
 own discretion based on an evaluation of
 >   the skill level of individual divers.
 >    We  certainly can't leave it to the
 scuba industry. If protecting and
 >   conserving coral reefs were a genuine
 objective dive training agencies would
 >   already  be implementing higher
 standards that require basic education
 >   regarding coral reef ecology and
 advanced buoyancy control before allowing
 >   divers into MPAs. But in the end these
 forces are more focused on economic
 >   growth  and  can't 
 be  relied  upon to  effectively 
 address critical
 >   environmental issues. One only has to
 examine the industry's public position
 >   on climate change as it applies to
 coral reefs to divulge this reality.   Oh
 >   wait a minute, they don't have a
 clearly articulated position on climate
 >   change. . . It must not be a threat
 after all.
 >   Regards,
 >   Steve Mussman
 >   Sea Lab Diving
 > 
 > 
 > 
 >   -----Original Message-----
 >> From: Gregor Hodgson
 >> Sent: Jul 27, 2013 1:49 PM
 >> To: "coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov"
 >> Subject: [Coral-List] Diver distance from Reef
 >> 
 >> Parks might want to consider a 2 m (or 6 feet)
 distance from a practical
 >> standpoint. Most divers are about 2 m long (tall)
 when in the water with
 >> fins but with legs bent, oriented at an angle and
 not completely stretched
 >> out. Hence any distance less than that risks
 bumping into the reef
 >> inadvertently when turning. It might be easier to
 remember and for divers
 >   to
 >> conceptualize a body length of 2 m than 1.5.
 >> 
 >> That being said, a lot of photographers enjoy
 macro-photography and a lot
 >   of
 >> divers are photographers. By zoning the entire park
 as 2 m distance only,
 >> you are excluding macro-photographers. Also lot of
 dive guides like showing
 >> small creatures such as anemone shrimp to
 customers.
 >> 
 >> Perhaps there should be a zone where closer
 observation/photography is
 >> permitted or when a guide is present who can
 enforce/remind?
 >> 
 >> Regards,
 >> 
 >> Gregor Hodgson, PhD
 >> Executive Director
 >> Reef Check Foundation
 >> PO Box 1057 (mail)
 >> 17575 Pacific Coast Highway (overnight)
 >> Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 USA
 >> T: 1 310-230-2371 or 2360
 >> Gregorh at reefcheck.org
 >> Skype: gregorh001
 >> 
 >> 
 >> From:
 >> Reply-To: "coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov"
 >> Date: Saturday, July 27, 2013 9:00 AM
 >> To: "coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov"
 >> Subject: Coral-List Digest, Vol 59, Issue 23
 >> 
 >> Send Coral-List mailing list submissions to
 >> coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
 >> 
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 >> or, via email, send a message with subject or body
 'help' to
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 >> 
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 >> please only include quoted text from prior posts
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 >> make your point; avoid re-sending the entire Digest
 back to the list.
 >> 
 >> 
 >> Today's Topics:
 >> 
 >> 1. Arrecife Alacranes Park manager needs
 documentation for
 >> proposed regulation re: divers distance from reef
 (Sustento
 >> t?cnico para regla de buceo en PN Arrecife
 Alacranes (Mexico):
 >> distancia del buzo al arrecife) (Georgina
 Bustamante)
 >> 
 >> 
 >>
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 >> 
 >> Message: 1
 >> Date: Thu, 25 Jul 2013 16:00:49 -0400
 >> From: "Georgina Bustamante"
 >> Subject: [Coral-List] Arrecife Alacranes Park
 manager needs
 >> documentation for proposed regulation re: divers
 distance from reef
 >> (Sustento t?cnico para regla de buceo en PN
 Arrecife Alacranes
 >> (Mexico): distancia del buzo al arrecife)
 >> To: "CaMPAM Forum" , "'coral list'"
 >> , "'Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries
 >> Institute Network'" , "'Bruce Potter at
 >> IRF'" ,
 >> 
 >> Message-ID:
 <09ec01ce8971$aa681260$ff383720$@com>
 >> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
 >> 
 >> (My translation to English below)
 >> 
 >> 
 >> 
 >> 
 >> 
 >> El colega Ren? Kant?n, director del Parque Nacional
 Arrecifes Alacranes,
 >> necesita  ayuda  para  apoyar 
 una nueva regulaci?n en el parque: los
 >   buceadores
 >> deben mantener una distancia m?nima de 1.5m del
 arrecife.
 >> 
 >> Favor de leer su mensaje abajo y comunicarse con el
 si puede ayudarlo.
 >> 
 >> 
 >> 
 >> GB
 >> 
 >> 
 >> 
 >> 
 >> 
 >> From: Rene Humberto Kantun Palma [mailto:rkantun at conanp.gob.mx]
 >> Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2013 2:53 PM
 >> To: gbustamante09 at gmail.com
 >> Cc: renekantun at hotmail.com
 >> Subject: RV: Sustento t?cnico para buceo
 >> 
 >> 
 >> 
 >> 
 >> 
 >> Estimada Georgina:
 >> 
 >> 
 >> 
 >> Una disculpa por distraerte de tus m?ltiples
 ocupaciones.
 >> 
 >> 
 >> 
 >> Te comento que estamos en el proceso de
 modificaci?n del Programa de Manejo
 >> del Parque Nacional Arrecife Alacranes, en el
 estado de Yucat?n, M?xico; en
 >> dicho documento estamos proponiendo incorporar como
 regla administrativa,
 >> respetar, en las pr?cticas de buceo, una distancia
 m?nima de 1.5 metros de
 >> las formaciones coralinas, con objeto de evitar
 da?os a las mismas. Hemos
 >> hecho una investigaci?n bibliogr?fica, pero ninguna
 de las publicaciones
 >> habla fehacientemente que para realizar
 sustentablemente el buceo se debe
 >> respetar distancia alguna, solo mencionan buenas
 pr?cticas y controlar la
 >> flotabilidad, incluso algunas AMP de M?xico
 contemplan o proponen
 >> distancias, pero no se?alan metodolog?a alguna para
 determinarlo, peor a?n,
 >> proponen distancias diferentes (Sian Ka?an 2.5,
 Cozumel 1.5, etc.).
 >> 
 >> 
 >> 
 >> Con base en lo anterior, atentamente te solicito tu
 apoyo a fin de que a
 >> trav?s de tu red de contactos puedas hacer la
 respectiva consulta, de lo
 >> cual  estoy  seguro  que algo saldr?
 en alg?n lugar del mundo, lo que
 >   permitir?
 >> fortalecer la propuesta de imponer una distancia
 m?nima al realizar el
 >   buceo
 >> en el PNAA.
 >> 
 >> 
 >> 
 >> Por el amable tiempo de haber revisado el presente
 correo, te agradezco
 >> infinito y aprovecho para enviarte saludos, con la
 esperanza que nos
 >> saludemos pronto, quiz?s en M?rida??
 >> 
 >> Espero tus comentarios.
 >> 
 >> Cordialmente
 >> 
 >> RK
 >> 
 >> 
 >> 
 >> 
 >> 
 >> Lic. Ren? H. Kant?n Palma
 >> 
 >> Comisi?n Nacional de ?reas Naturales Protegidas
 >> 
 >> Director
 >> 
 >> Parque Nacional Arrecife Alacranes
 >> 
 >> Reserva de la Biosfera R?a Celest?n
 >> 
 >> Calle 18 No, 120 X Av. P?rez Ponce, Col. Itzimn?
 >> 
 >> M?rida, Yucat?n, C.P. 97100
 >> 
 >> Tel. 999 938 07 09 / 999 938 07 08
 >> 
 >> Ext. 101 y 106
 >> 
 >> renekantun at hotmail.com
 >> 
 >> 
 >> 
 >> 
 >> 
 >> 
 >> La informaci?n que se env?a al destinatario
 mediante esta
 >> transmisi?n es propiedad exclusiva de la Comisi?n
 >> Nacional de ?reas Naturales Protegidas. Si usted no
 es el
 >> destinatario de esta informaci?n o si la ha
 recibido por
 >> error, se le comunica que la copia, distribuci?n,
 >> modificaci?n, retransmisi?n, revelaci?n o uso en
 cualquier
 >> forma, est? estrictamente prohibida.
 >> 
 >> ------------------------
 >> 
 >> CaMPAM members,
 >> 
 >> Our colleague Rene Kantun, director of Arrecifes de
 Alacranes NP, need your
 >> help to Support a proposed regulation: for divers
 to keep a 1.5m distance
 >> from the reef.
 >> 
 >> Read my English translation of his message below,
 and contact him if you
 >   can
 >> help.
 >> 
 >> 
 >> 
 >> GB
 >> 
 >> 
 >> 
 >> Dear Georgina:
 >> 
 >> An apology for distracting from your busy
 schedule.
 >> 
 >> We are in the process of modifying the Management
 Program of Alacranes
 >> Reefs National Park, Yucatan, Mexico. We are
 proposing to incorporate a new
 >> regulation on diving practices re: a minimum
 distance of 1.5 m to coral
 >> formations in order to avoid damage to them. We
 conducted a literature
 >> search, but none of the publications justifies
 convincingly the distance to
 >> be respected, just mention good practice and
 control buoyancy, even some of
 >> Mexico AMP (2.5m for Sian Ka'an, 1.5m for Cozumel,
 etc..).
 >> 
 >> Based on the above, I request your support for this
 query thru your network
 >> and contacts. I hope something will come out
 somewhere in the world, which
 >> will strengthen the proposal to impose minimum
 distance to make diving in
 >> the NPAA.
 >> 
 >> Thank you ??. hoping to greet us soon, maybe in
 Merida??
 >> I await your comments.
 >> Cordially
 >> RK
 >> 
 >> Lic. Ren? H. Kant?n Palma
 >> 
 >> Comisi?n Nacional de ?reas Naturales Protegidas
 >> 
 >> Director
 >> 
 >> Parque Nacional Arrecife Alacranes
 >> 
 >> Reserva de la Biosfera R?a Celest?n
 >> 
 >> Calle 18 No, 120 X Av. P?rez Ponce, Col. Itzimn?
 >> 
 >> M?rida, Yucat?n, C.P. 97100
 >> 
 >> Tel. 999 938 07 09 / 999 938 07 08
 >> 
 >> Ext. 101 y 106
 >> 
 >> renekantun at hotmail.com
 >> 
 >> ??
 >> 
 >> 
 >> 
 >> ------------------------------
 >> 
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 >> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
 >> http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
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