[Coral-List] Dominican Republic Bans all Shark and Parrot / Doctor / Surgeon Fish fishing, also urchins

[Damien Beri]

If anyone would like to see images of the "Silver Banks" 98 miles off the coast of the Dominican Republic let me know.  They are extremely revealing of the degree of damage that has occurred.  Staying two months out at sea with the whales and fishing boats, I saw no large fauna except whales and conducted extensive swims through various coral heads.  Most of the reef heads have died with several patches of coral heads where just the tips of once ancient elkhorns remain.  It's my understanding these vertical pillars of elkhorn tracked sea level rise for thousands of years?

Most of these vertical (>60 ft) coral heads are now dead and covered with algae. 

I have exact gps coordinates for these images if anyone would like.  I also know someone who has been going to the area for many years and has marked all the coral heads (>300) for whale watching safety concerns.  

Hope anyone can use these valuable shots!




Sent from my iPhone

> On Jun 17, 2017, at 1:49 PM, Ruben Torres <ruben at reefcheck.org> wrote:
> 
> Just in from Dominican Republic:
> 
> Francisco Dominguez Brito, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources issued a resolution to ban all shark species fishing indefinitely. Also a moratorium for 2 years on all species of Parrot Fish and Surgeon/Doctor fish in all Dominican Republic waters. Also urchins will be protected from collecting or harvesting as a measure to control algae growth on reefs.
> 
> 
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