Let us look at these one by one:
1. The lack of park guarda-parques (park rangers) due to retirements
Response: Hire and train new park rangers. Is unemployment 0% on the island? This is not a factor that justifies the closing.
2. The chronic lack of funding for hiring park rangers
Response: Lobby the state/federal government for more of the scuba marine park fees or get some from the cruise ship funds. I don't damage the reefs and have no need for a "park ranger" to monitor my diving. This is not a factor that justifies the closing.
3. The overwhelming number of illegal dive operations taking divers to the park. By illegal, they mean dive operations that don’t have park permits and/or are not a tax-paying Mexican business, but are “working under the table”, often with illegal immigrants (Yep, they have lots of those in Mexico, too!) and are basically ignoring park rules.
Response: If they know about these "illegal operations" then shut them down or make them see that compliance with current rules and regulations is the way to go. Don't shut down highly desired dive sites for local inability to end the practice. This is not a factor that justifies the closing.
4. The large number of legal operators who still allow their divers to:
A. Wear gloves
B: Carry spears
C. Carry metal prods
D. Touch the coral
E. Drag their fins on the coral
F. Let their dangles bang the coral
G. Hold onto coral to keep steady for photograph
Response: I don't know that the assertions are valid. But for fun I will address each.
a. Banning gloves has always been asinine.
b. If "spears" are used to kill lion fish, is it better to let lion fish multiply? What are the bad consequences, if any, of having a thriving ion fish population compared to some divers having "spears?"
c. I don't know what metal prods are.
d. Touching coral is a no-no. Educate and reinforce that during the pre-dive briefing.
e. Don't drag your fins on the coral but that will become more common at sites not closed to divers, hence hastening problems there.
f. Secure "dangles." Use dangle clips.
g. Photographers should be banned. I agree with this one. They hold up the group, take up lots of room on the boat and are basically self-entitled prima donnas.
5. The huge number of operators (legal and illegal) that are taking tourists to El Cielo and allowing them to handle the starfish
Response: I agree with this if factual. But you don't close everything for a problem at one location. Find a solution for that one site.
6. The coral disease that is killing the reefs
Response: As a diver did I bring the disease into the coral system or spread it? If not, then this is also an invalid justification for closing these sites.
7. The sewage runoff from beach clubs and hotels
Response: This is disgusting if true. Close those beach clubs and hotels, implement temporary alternatives like porta potties at beach clubs and work on a permanent solution. Again this is not a diver related problem that justifies closing the sites.
Note: MrBigfins "liked" this post before I had finished it and in particular made a very reasoned and dare I say...irrefutable...justification for banning photographers from diving in Cozumel. My wit and humor cracks me up.
