(S.O.S& Urgent!!) Please Save Bangka -Lembeh from Hazardous Destruction !!

[sonofsulawesi]

URGENT!! PLEASE HELP TO SAVE BANGKA-LEMBEH FROM DESTRUCTION...

I just want to inform to u all, the exploration work of a chinese iron mining company that has been going on quite a while ( almost a year) in bangka island which is one of the most beautiful diving site in sulawesi that would eventually lead up to exploitation. As matter of fact many people especially from tourism industry highly object this thing.

However the local authorities out of greed doesn't care about this protest and keep on giving the permission for mining operation on that area. Up in the hill on couple of places machines have been being erected, the mine uses bomb to explore the site & if they reach the stage of exploitation chemical also would be used( which means more pollution) if this thing keep on being continued , the possibility of destruction of ecosystem would be inevitable.

Many people (especially non divers) in sulawesi don't know about Bangka ( even Lembeh also !!!) as among of the world's diving spot, all that we know is bunaken. But for me personally from what i've been reading in couple of scuba websites actually bangka&lembeh is on the toplist compare to bunaken.

Fyi many petitions have been sent from many divers around the world, but these petitions haven't made the local authorities to change their decision. (part of it i believe because the lack of knowledge and awareness of non-divers community about bangka-gangga-lembeh as center of diving tourism).

So in that case i plea upon the international community to make a sound upon this matter at the global platform (even united nations perhaps!?), but on first stage i urge the divers community who care about this matter to make at least some action maybe some sort of boycott by cancelling their trip to dive in bunaken or lembeh or bangka that hopefully from this act, it would make the local government to change their decision.

I also again plea for this "bangka awareness & SAVE BANGKA MOVEMENT " being initiated from international divers community & to be brought on official international platform to stop this hazardous destruction.... Thanks

[instructorinasia]

Thank you for posting about this situation....I work in the area it is pretty worry which could happen.

[xariatay]

Is this the correct petition to sign & support? https://www.rainforest-rescue.org/ma...coral-gardens#

[BlueBayDivers]

hi all . yes, that the right petition to sign https://www.rainforest-rescue.org/ma...coral-gardens#
and if you want to be informed please join our facebook initiative here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/SaveBangkaIsland/
become a member!
thanks anke

[AaronRiot]

Signed. Thank you for bringing this message to ScubaBoard.

[fblue]

signed. hope to visit bangka sometime. thx