Lembeh Strait Diving Permit

[Bora_Horza]

Perhaps this is a cunning plan by the Government of Bitung to try and create the following 'win win' situation. #1 the goverment gets money from divers (always useful), and a lot more money from divers based away from the city/regional boundries. #2 this creates a financial incentive for dive operations/divers to be based within the city/region, with the associated financial boost to the local economy (hotels, resteraunts, etc)... Just some idle speculation, I may be talking rubbish!

 

[Indah]

Hey, that would be great! But I am afraid that the US$ 6, - per day per visiting diver, which by the way probably the guest will pay anyway, is not enough incentive. However, Bitung indeed is a great place to move your business to or to start one.

 

[swisstrav]

correct me if im wrong.

we are diving in the to and fro waters of bintang port which is the busiest commercial port in the area. and for this region to ask for a conservation fee or dive permit or whatever, is a bit steep! or just the indonesian way of extracting money from the tourists.

why not having the resorts pay a anual conservation fee, let's say connected to their enviromental friendlyness? forget about it. would not be supported by the owners of the resorts and the rouling body would have to come up with some substancial thinking/law making which will not hapen in indonesia in the near future.

much easier to extract money out of the "rich" tourists but where does it go to??? still no answer to that

 

[selamat datang]

You are right. I live here already for 5 years all the money is going to the goverment. What they do with it ??????. By the way the idea of the fee is coming from the divecenters over there.

 

[Indah]

They money paid for the permits goes the the general income of the city of Bitung. E.g. 32% of this budget is spend on education. There are almost no overhead costs for the permit system. The Tourism Office can also apply for funding from this general budget. It already did this and is replacing the moorings and patrolling Lembeh Strait. The patrols are needed to prevent too many divers at the same dive site at the same time and to prevent anchoring for example. The income and the spending of Bitung City is public information and the figures of 2009 were already published in January 2010.

 

[gee13]

I would like to know then after the figures of 2010 how much of the tax actually was used properly? A conservation fee should be used for what it is for - conservation! As a touring diver i would like to know what is being done with the money to conserve Lembeh waters? There are hundreds of other places I can dive without having to pay a fee, where conservation is done by the local diving operations and local government anyway. there is enough money pouring in from dive tourism to support this. $6 US is not a lot but if you multiply this by the amount of divers per year having to pay this? Anyone care to estimate how much is generated and how much will be spent? Or how much will go elsewhere?

 

[Indah]

Again :It is not a conservation fee. Please see my above message gee13.

 

[BlueBayDivers]

I agree to INDAH. the most important value is to prevent too many divers at the same time at the same spot and to minimize the divers/dive guide ratio. we already see during the first months this year, that the divers distributing themself more all over the strait. there is no more mass diving at one spot anymore. which is already a big enhancement. we, blue bay divers staying outsite of bitung area and we doing day trips 1-2 times a week to lembeh. our guest, until now, having to problem paying 50.000 IDR fee only for one day diving in lembeh.
regards from bangka
anke - Blue Bay Divers
we totally support

 

[gee13]

I was led to believe this from reading a few accounts, I have now read the legisation draft and understand this, though below quoted states some of the money WILL be used for 'conservation' (environmental projects) -

Lembeh Scuba | Budget Diving in Lembeh Strait

"This money will be going toward building new tourism infrastructure in the city of Bitung for tourists to use. This will include building a new dock for guest pickup and the creation of signs and posters about the marine life and guidelines when diving in Lembeh Strait. This will also be pledged toward more garbage cleanups and other environmental projects."

 

[selamat datang]

I do not agree with indah and blue bay there is already a lot of money coming in for tourism. Why we have to pay agian for tourism. why not 100% spent for tourism then. there is already to much corupsi If I want to dive at Sehang bay I have to pay also according to the newspaper. for how is this then is not Lembeh area.