La setmana passada vaig rebre un correu on per fi es relatava la normalització de la situació ales Galapagos. Això significa que els operadors tornen a portar a gent a Wolf i Darwin fins al 31 de desembre, data en la que hauran d'obtenir un permís especial per bussejar al parc. Aquesta mesura ens ha arribat tard. Recordeu que vam ser el primer creuer afectat per la mesura.
El més important és que la vigilància a les illes del nord es veurà reforçada amb els vaixells dels bussejadors i els furitus hauran de marxar de la zona.
La setmana següent del nostre viatge, un company del viatge a la illa del Coco, en Keith Alfon, ens va relatar el seu viatge (l'últim creuer de 10 dies al parc) on van poder veure més de 60 taurons balena!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! recordeu que el mistral en el viatge anterior al nostre havien albirat uns 23 taurons balena)....

GALAPAGOS UPDATE – September 2007

We owe many of you a large debt of gratitude for taking the time to write letters and sign petitions in support of the campaign to stop shark finning in Ecuador and Galapagos. The first battle was won when on August 27, diving permits were restored to many boats to dive Darwin & Wolf, that had been prevented from doing so in a Presidential ruling of July 10. These permits only apply until December 31, 2007, after which all vessels will need a special permit to dive this area. Although we don’t yet have all the details, it appears more than likely it will mean fewer dive boats will be offering charters to Darwin & Wolf in 2008, and while vessels such as the Aggressors and Sky Dancer already have full dive permits, other dive yachts such the Deep Blue, Lammer Law, Galex and Reina Silvia, will have to go though the new permit process to obtain these permits. Whether other boats will do it remains to be seen.

Why the re-instatement of these permits has been so important is that more dive vessels now have access to Darwin & Wolf, which means they exert a controlling influence to stop the fishing boats which are illegally fishing in the National Park. Although the island of Darwin & Wolf have no ranger station and no navy patrols to stop the fishing, the fishing boats do not want to be seen by diving boats, as they risk being reported to the authorities and serious actions taken against them.

The shark finning on mainland Ecuador continues but after a very tough battle, with more than four weeks of actions, mails, letters, visits to TV networks, radio interviews, seminars and conferences, finally we are on the eve of obtaining a reform on the Decree President Correa put in force in July. The Ecuadorian Government has already set up a new regulation that forces ALL fishing boats in the Galapagos and those above 20 DWT in the continental waters to implement a satellite monitoring device by Oct 1, and this new reform will include many of the suggestions made by Wildaid in strengthening the controls and biological monitoring of the resources, as well as Wildaid playing an important role in helping train the inspectors and Control Centre operators.

All this would not have been possible without an incredible fight that received great media attention, an extraordinary 80% public support in Ecuadorian polls and finally, a huge public rally and march to the presidential palace that forced the President to receive a delegation of protesters. Wildaid ended up writing a draft for a proposal that is under discussion and hopefully will go to the President this week after being reviewed by both the conservationists and the fishing industry.

The battle isn’t over, but it has showed that there is much public concern for sharks and if we all shout loud enough, we can make a difference.

Thanks for the role you played and I will be keeping you posted as it progresses and what more can be done.

For more info on the situation in Galapagos, there is an excellent website put together by Ken Weemhoff of Galapagos Adventures, which offers a more detailed overview of recent events. http://www.galapagosadventures.com/dive_issue/index.html

WildAid is a non profit US based organization with HQ in San Francisco and offices in China, UK, US and the Galapagos (Ecuador). They have a permanent program in Galapagos named "Galapagos Forever" which includes, reduction of poaching, conservation and local development projects. The WildAid approach is: a.) Direct Protection of Marine Reserves and Park Lands. b.) Sustainable Business Development, and c.) Mass Media Awareness Campaigns

GALAPAGOS DIVING

For those wishing to dive at Darwin and Wolf this Fall, we still have a few spaces on the following trips:

GALAPAGOS AGGRESSOR Nov 19-29 – ten nights with Dive Advice - one space available

GALEX - spaces on her 7 night departures for Sep 24-Oct 1, Oct 8-15, Nov 5-12, and Dec 3-10.

MISTRAL – 7 night charter to Darwin and Wolf for Oct 27-Nov 3.

These may be the only dive spaces available for Darwin and Wolf for the remainder of 2007, so don’t hesitate to contact myself or Kirsten at Amazing Adventures Travel. I will be sending details of 2008 trips in my Fall Newsletter.

As always, at your service.

Kind regards, Dom

Dominick Macan

Dive Advice

dom@diveadvice.com

www.DiveAdvice.com

Tel: +33 492 94 02 99

“In partnership with Amazing Adventures Travel of Mill Valley California”

(This is a private dive listing I send out periodically to clients and friends in the dive travel industry, with info on dive boats, destinations, and special trips. With a background on diving boats and more than 20 years in the dive travel industry, mostly in the US, I now live with my wife in the South of France, from where I continue to organize dive adventures and lead expeditions around the world. I welcome your inquiries, but if you feel you have received this message in error and don't wish it cluttering your inbox, please let me know and I will be happy to remove your address.)

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