Help with "excuses"...

[kixy1]

Stoo

Check out what Mike had to say about his recent trip to Roatan over in the Coz forum. I'm tasking you to give us your thoughts when you return. I haven't been for a few years, and was thinking of going back to CCV, but now I'm not too sure.

Heyyyyy! I just gave your vacation very important, working, dive trip a PURPOSE! You need to perform scientific research for your fellow dive community. Thousands are depending on your report! Use that for an excuse explanation of why you must (reluctantly) leave the loving arms of Mrs. Stoo!

Really it's all about me, (usually is)... I need some 1st hand info about reef and reeflife conditions there so I can better plan my next trip. But while you're out there "working", have some FUN, report back and bring the Mrs a nice present. She'll say she doesn't want anything, but trust me on this. Gift. Nice one.

[Stoo]

Kixy, I just read Mike's report. Thanks for pointing that out. I've not been diving up at West End for a few years, and when I did it was only a couple of dives since I had a morning to kill before sailing with Capt Vern over to Utila. From what I have heard, the West End diving is suffering not only from Lionfish infestation, but also from pressure from increased activity on the reefs as the result of the nearby cruise terminals. This might also explain the "newbie infestation" Mike commented about. It's a sad fact that cruise ships bring revenue to these little islands, and that in turn can bring all sorts of other problems... crime, tons of "under-skilled" divers and so on. It's easy to find reports of similar issues even in less well-known areas like Grand Turk.

I have spent time in Utila every year for quite a few years now, and also seen a degradation in the quality of the diving there. The reefs are still beautiful, but there has been a serious reduction in fish populations. Like "Mike", my log has comments about the changes over the years, and in one place I mention that the "surface intervals are better than the diving. (Taken out of context, that sounds like I enjoyed bobbing around on a boat more than the diving. In fact, it was because every day we were able to swim with either dolphins, whale sharks or pilot whales between dives!) Speaking with friends who live there, and who work in the dive industry, many of them feel it has to do with relatively unregulated fishing. The state of the economy over the past few years has had a devastating impact on the people of these very poor counties. You think we're having a tough time here in Canada and the US, but imagine what the loss of a job means to someone who only makes a few thousand dollars a year, and where there is little or no social safety net. So the fishing issue isn't so much one of factory fishing, but one of a local guy, in a little boat, jigging for a few fish to feed his family or to sell to a restaurant.

I had a "moment" last year when I was there visiting my daughter. While the diving was still very nice, I made note of the lack of larger apex fish. One morning I followed around a good sized snapper. For dinner, I had snapper. And the next day, "my" snapper was no where to be found. It was a sobering observation. And I ate beans, rice and chicken for the rest of the time I was there. And I have pretty much stopped eating seafood period.

So I think that the declining fish populations are a result of a lot of factors. Having a system in place for culling lionfish is part of it. Protecting the reefs from fishing is another, and as much as I hate to say it, even "we" are part of the problem.

This is a curious twist to this thread. "Research" seems like a good excuse for me to go. While I am planning on heading over to Utila again, I'm sure the results will be similar.

[kixy1]

Stoo, serious post dude Sadly, I agree with your observations. I’ve thought for years that over fishing and development will be the demise of our great reef systems, possibly in my lifetime. The tremendous pressure the lionfish invasion has now brought will only hasten it I’m afraid. I can get teary-eyed when I think about some of the things my kids will never see. Man, did you ever dive Coz in the 80’s?! It was a thing of frickin wonder. Even before the hurricanes I was noticing stress though, especially after the cruise ships came.

“We” just keep coming though, and demanding more and more from often poor, isolated regions. Hard to ask those who are scraping by on nothing not to fish, or build giant piers when it may be their only means of feeding and supporting their families. No, I won’t stop going. Not sure what that says about me, but I can't lie... I just try to mitigate my “footprint” and advocate for change, which is easier said than done from a foreign country.

Don’t know if I’ll get back to Roatan. I was saddened when I read the thread about the “Garbage Flotilla” over in the Bay Island forum, and Mike is not the first to post a somewhat disheartening trip report. I’d like to take my kids, but… I don’t know. I’m thinking for diving, maybe Bonaire instead. All I can think about is accumulating enough time and money to get my butt to Asia or the Pacific Islands before I get too old LOL

I will be waiting for your trip report! I only get 2 days on Coz this year, so I’m going to need to live vicariously through others until 2013 to avoid slipping into a deep, dark depression No pressure though.

[Stoo]

I used to go to Cozumel every year from about '84 on, for about 10 years. I still have photos of great plumes of gorgonia on my walls... I agree with you though, things aren't going to get better I'm afraid.

Now that I am more or less semi-retired, I find myself looking for a way to be involved in some sort of work that would bring attention to what's happening to our oceans. Up here in Canada, we saw an early effect of over-fishing when foreign fishing fleets literally wiped out our commercial fishery on the east coast. Large fleets would fish anything and process it on site without regard to the consequences.

If you are looking for some "pristine" diving, it's still out there, but it's harder to find. Check out Turneffe Island Resort... I have a trip report on here someplace. We are returning for the third time in March...

[daniel1948]

I've only been diving for about 3 years or so, so I have no idea what things used to be like, but my first post-certification trip was to Cozumel. I thought it was absolutely spectacular, but the strong current was kind of frightening. I really don't know if I'll go back. Diving is not my only leisure-time activity, so Cozumel is not really high on my list.