[Coral-List] The Diving Industry and Ocean Conservation

Eesat Atikkan atikkanuwn at yahoo.com
Wed Nov 27 12:32:36 EST 2013


The only objective DEMA has is to promote the sale of scuba and related equipment.
It may pay lip service to conservation, to environmental stewards, etc., but that is simply the gilt

Protection of the environment is going to come from the divers - such as avoid operations that you feel are not good protectors of the environment.
Next is the education/training - not talking basic scuba training.  I am talking about the responsibility of scuba instructors to share the concepts of ecological sensitivity with their students - oops I forgot weekend wonders don't have time for that.

Joking aside - this has to be approached as broadly as possible and not simply with slogan, but with a real embracing of the matter.  Divers are the ones supporting the industry - they can influence the choices that the industry makes.  What is needed is that they be made aware of their power
Carpe aqua
Esat Atikkan
--------------------------------------------
On Mon, 11/25/13, Steve Mussman <sealab at earthlink.net> wrote:

 Subject: Re: [Coral-List] The Diving Industry and Ocean Conservation
 To: "Melbourne Briscoe" <Mel at briscoe.com>, coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
 Date: Monday, November 25, 2013, 12:01 PM
 
 
    "DEMA is not supportive of the NOP,
 because they distrust the players and
    motives, and there are some parts of the
 NOP they don't like at all."
    Mel,
 
    DEMA  has a simple mandate to follow.
 The organization is charged with
    promoting sustainable  growth 
 of  the  industry, but it is allowing a
    dilemma to develop because it appears to
 view this objective to either be in
    conflict with or subordinate to their
 simultaneous obligation to protect the
    underwater  environment. In my view
 there needs to be more balance and
    further that to oppose a policy like the
 NOP only reinforces the perception
    that they fail to recognize that their two
 primary objectives are in fact
    inseparable and innately linked. Although
 DEMA points out that they are not
    members of the National Ocean Policy
 Coalition, they have clearly partnered
    with this organization and in doing so
 have sided with a number of special
    interests that are not encumbered by
 commitments to conserve and protect
    natural aquatic resources. So while I can
 sympathize with the concerns
    of
 extraction   industries   and   others   as 
 they  contemplate  the
    policy's implementation, I can find no
 legitimate reason for DEMA to view
    the policy with comparable distrust and
 skepticism.
 
 
    Regards,
 
     Steve
    -----Original Message-----
    >From: Melbourne Briscoe
    >Sent: Nov 22, 2013 4:33 PM
    >To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
    >Subject: Re: [Coral-List] The Diving
 Industry and Ocean Conservation
    >
    >Here are two things I've heard
 expressed, often forcefully!
    >
    >** The NOP is a creation of the Obama
 administration, and has no apparent
    >Congressional support, there may even
 be some enmity there. As such, it
    >will likely go away when the Obama
 administration goes away, as did the
    Bush
    >Ocean Action Plan before it. Even the
 Obama administration has not been
    >particularly supportive of the NOP, at
 least not with money. NOAA is the
    >plan's biggest advocate, but now NOAA
 has a new administrator....so who
    >knows?
    >
    >** DEMA is probably correct in not
 getting behind the NOP. Why waste the
    >effort and any silver bullets they may
 have? Relationships between NOAA and
    >the dive industry have not been
 especially cordial, so the level of trust
    >toward NOP/NOAA is low.
    >
    >In my view,
    >The folks on this list are quite
 supportive of the NOP because they take it
    >at face value and there are parts of
 it they like a lot.
    >DEMA is not supportive of the NOP,
 because they distrust the players and
    >motives, and there are some parts of
 the NOP they don't like at all.
    >
    >I think one can get more legacy from
 discussions with Congress in the many
    >coastal states, than by lining up
 behind sweeping administration policies
    >that probably doomed.
    >
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    >Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
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