Good week in Utila

[Sloeber]

Yes I'm well aware of the laws. However, maybe in your 2000 dives you didn't absurb the essense of Honduras if you think laws matter here. I do not wish to believe what co-workers of Swin have told me, as I too consider Swin a friend and say hello in passing. However, it did open my eyes and now I watch what I say around ALL boat captains. As was said above, divers are "fish-finders." There are those here who know exactly who does the shark finning (I am not one of them in the interest of self preservation). It is hard to "educate" locals about the importance of sharks while they and their family are searching for the next meal. Sad as it may be, a shark fin continues to be an ample payday for the poor.

 

[okidoki]

Hi Paul good to hear from you, at the moment I am involved in shark conservation and research, I have been diving the last few years in SEA Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines as well involved in sustainable fishing with communities over there.
Henry could you keep me up to date with shark sightings don't need location just species, sex and aprox size.
The Utila community doesn't realize how much they depend on the diving tourism until it is all gone, and you have the major Alton who should enforce and educate the Utillians. I have always loved Utila but it is only a few that will spoil it for the whole community at least in the Phillippines we have been successful educating some dynamite fishermen who are now the gamekeepers of the MPA's

 

[Doc]

The Philippines is just a bigger pond, further away from commercial development. It will go (further) to sh*t there soon enough.

"Locals" everywhere simply do not care. The tourism industry that caters to divers is just too small to support burgeoning hungry populations who are looking for a living.

Don't get me worked up, I'll tell you what I really think. I really appreciate what you're doing, Oki, but it is pretty much so like pishing off the windward rail.

The natural environment? Enjoy it while it lasts.

 

[Sloeber]

Utila would go right on with life if every diver left tomorrow. Don't be so niave to think us divers have some stranglehold on the islanders. Its clearly the other way around. They let us exist here and do as we please (within reason). The least we can do is return in kind. Who am I to tell these people they can't be doing what they've done for centuries? The shark fisherman don't make a dime from scuba divers, and don't really care to. If you want the fisherman to stop, you must show them a way to make a living. And not just any living as you are asking them to change their entire existance, heritage, and education. How about paying these fisherman for every fish they RELEASE? Yeah, go out, catch your shark, photograph it, then release it and we will pay you exactly what you'd make by killing it. Sound good? It'd be a start (maybe). Surely the scuba industry can afford this, right?

 

[okidoki]

Roatan man and Henry it is so easy to be negative about trying to implement change but it is all about mindset, it's about educating people to do things differently. MPA have proven a positive effect on on fish stocks health within a year...so who will benefit? I guess every one the reef, marine life, the community and the tourists.

About being naive there are more people on the island either direct or indirect benefiting from tourism then you can imagine.
The only thing that is needed to help is support by doing it together with the locals coming up with plans they will directly benefit from and set goals they buy in to with support of the Major, step by step it is all possible.

Roatan man I don't think you are aware of the challenges communities are facing over there a fisherman has to travel out to sea for about 2 hours to get a decent catch to come back with a catch just enough to cover his fuel and feed his family for a day. Most waters are over fished, reefs and fish stocks destroyed by dynamite and cyanide fishing methods, large amount of tuna fleets with massive nets, long lining and tons of by catch.
By saying LOCALS don't care is not true just listen what they moan about, they just don't know always what the solution could be for their problems as this fish stock problem only the first in peoples lifetime.
No need to re invent the wheel but look up success stories where communities have made it work them selves with some support, maybe look up RarePlanet | Community Inspiring Conservation and read this article I was interviewed by The New York Times! | Adventures in Conservation
It's so easy to give up and give in but much more satisfying getting results with and for the community you are in.

 

[randyc]

Enjoyed your experience on Utila. I'm really interrested in seeing WS. I've been told by two dive travel agents and an instructor who woked on the island that sightings are over rated and not frequent. One even told me they fly a small plane around and when a WS is sighted all the boats race to the spot. Any comments greatly appreciated. I don't want to waste an expensive trip. TKs

 

[laurenceh]

the plane spotter story is just that a story, i've been on utila for over five years and have never heard of anyone using a spotter plane (the only place i know that does that is ningaloo reef in australia).
whale shark sightings weren't as frequent as usual last year but have been great this year: 10 days in a row in january, plenty in march and april, quite a few sightings in may (including some guests i had who saw two and a pod of pilot whales next to capt. verns catamaran bringing them from roatan), june we had a lot of sightings and it's yet to come but september has been a great month in recent years. however we've definitely not been seeing the huge aggregations that have been seen in mexico recently but we rarely see more than two or three individuals in a day.
don't come to utila if the only reason is to see whale sharks coz obviously it can't be guaranteed but i think your travel agents are grossly misinformed.

 

[drrich2]

Something else depressing on the subject of conservation in that situation, harkening back to a presentation on the 'Tragedy of the Commons' I heard once. From a struggling local's perspective, if he doesn't go kill the tiger shark, odds are someone else will, so the shark dies either way, but his family (or hey, let's be real, maybe it's just him) misses out.

I've seen a similar viewpoint expressed years ago about poaching in Arkansas by people who were not struggling/impoverished.

It's been written that where you stand on an issue depends on where you sit. Some of the truest words I have ever read. Sad.

Richard.