Dangerous Diving Practices Harm Caribbean Fish And Fishermen Alike

By CINTHYA FLORES

Beaches of white sand; diverse colors and shapes of coral; exotic species and the flavor of freedom offered by the sea. This is the work-place of the small fishing villages of the Honduran Caribbean. In the midst of poverty, the villager’s conservation sense is strong and in the long run will allow them to continue living from the sea without eliminating lobsters, the main commercial species of the area.

Diving with scuba tanks to fish for lobster is an apparently easy alternative for Honduran coastal communities that depend on marine resources for their income. But without taking the necessary measures, the profits are transformed into damage against marine life and the fishermen themselves.

Low-income fishermen with semi-paralyzed bodies are living testimony to the lack of adequate training for scuba diving. They do not have access to emergency treatments such as hyperbaric chambers that allow nitrogen gas, which accumulates during multiple dives, to be released from their bodies.

As a result, more than 100 men from the Miskito Coast region, in northern Honduras, who dive in the Cayos Cochinos archipelago are physically impaired and cannot work, aggravating the poverty in which their families live.

Miskito Julian Cully, 45 years old, has 18 children and has been diving for 32 years. His life has been threatened several times by unsound diving techniques. “I was working in the forest. But when the opportunity to fish came, I began to dive out of necessity. Four times I was paralyzed and recovered. Now, my whole body hurts, and I cannot work.”

A population of 350 landowners and Garifuna communities live on three of the twelve islands that lie 19 kilometers from Honduras north coast and make up the 500 km2 Cayos Cochinos archipelago and marine reserve. The reserve is located within the Mesoamerican Reef System, the second largest barrier reef in the world.

Spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) is the main commercial product of Cayos Cochinos. Lobster brings up to U.S. $80 a plate in local restaurants, and international demand for this coveted delicacy has encouraged a massive increase in fishing for it around the world. It has been extensively exploited in Cayos Cochinos, mostly by industrial fisheries that contract local villagers to harvest the product under less than adequate conditions.

“We have more than five cases where men from Cocobila in the Honduran Miskito Coast have gone out in large vessels to fish and returned to us as cadavers,” says Roberto Hernandez, who heads a preventative training program for scuba divers. Even though regulations indicate that no more than four dives should be made per day, these men make up to 12 without taking time between to decompress and release damaging nitrogen gas from their bodies, explained Hernandez.

But not just the fishermen are damaged. The lobsters, as well as coral and other species that live in the lobster habitat, are also threatened by scuba diving. However, in today’s Honduras the outlook is heartening. Communities that make their living off the sea are an example of sustainable fishing practices. In the past they abused the marine resources that sustained them. Now the Garifunas and Miskitos have made the Honduran government sign a decree in favor of conservation.

The new law prohibits lobster fishing with tanks in the Cayos Cochinos Protected Area. The fishermen respect the law with pride.

“The communities are following the guidelines and regulations of the Ministry of Agriculture,” says fisherman Victor Cordoba. “With the assistance of the coast guard and park rangers we have chosen to protect the reserve.”

By putting a stop to indiscriminate lobster fishing, the communities of Cayos Cochinos are ensuring that balance of this ecosystem is maintained.
Coral reefs are very sensitive. And, in addition to the human impacts of recent years, natural perturbations, such as hurricanes and rises in sea-surface temperature, have a huge impact on them. The increased temperature cause bleaching of the coral, which leaves it dead, without algae and pigments.

Declared a protected area in 1993, with the stipulation that private property and public marine areas be integrated, the management of Cayos Cochinos falls under the Honduran Coral Reef Foundation (HCRF). The process has included participation from the Avina Foundation, which has invested in scientific development, social awareness, and protected area management over the last seven years.

Technical assistance has also been provided by The World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), which has promoted a model of participatory management in the area based on fishermen exchanges from the Banco Chincorro Biosphere Reserve in Mexico.

The author is a Communications Officer at WWF Central America. WWFs aim is to slow down, and eventually reverse, the accelerating degradation of our planets natural environment; and to help build a future in which people live in harmony with nature.

On The Road: From Tegus to La Ceiba

By AINE CARVILL

Well, after all the wonderful adventures I've had in my summer in Honduras, I wondered when my luck would run out. Who could have guessed it would happen in La Ceiba?

Since I arrived in this country, one item has been circled in my Lonely Planet (LP) guide book as “not to be missed” - a trip to the North Coast to indulge in some rafting on the Rio Cangregal and hiking in Pico Bonito, two of my favorite activities. As my weeks in Honduras are quickly counting down, this was to be THE weekend.

I set off Friday afternoon, with Atlantic Airlines. A strange sense of foreboding came over me during the hour-long take-off delay, but the feeling drifted away in the balmy La Ceiba air when we eventually landed in the coastal town.

With LP as my guide, I steered the taxi driver toward the supposed backpacker hangout, Barrio La Isla. As a part-time, weekend backpacker, I felt that I qualified, so was perfectly happy with my instructions to the driver, and couldn’t wait to see La Islas promised beach.

I’m not sure if I expected La Ceiba to be like Roatan's West End, but, as we crossed the river and traveled to the far extremities of the town on dirt roads, it seemed more like a Comayaguela by the sea. I thought the driver had misunderstood my instructions. But when we were stopped by a burst pipe overflowing onto the road, the driver pointed me towards a wall painted with brightly colored flags. He said it was the place I was seeking, the Rotterdam Hotel.

My initial feelings about the hotels appearance were less than ecstatic, and they got even lower after a pleasant young man showed me my less-than-hygienic basement room. He assured me the hostel was not as quiet as it looked, as the bar next door, guardian of the painted flags, would be alive and kicking until the nights wee hours.

So, again consulting my trusty LP, I politely declined the room, and tracked down a slightly more clean, if less adventurous, place around the corner.

The Partenon Beach, as the name suggests, is ideally set on the beach. That is, if this beach were somewhere you would actually want to spend time, the setting would be ideal. The sea looked polluted, and litter covered the narrow strip of sand that led to the water. Neither was the lime-green, stagnant water of the hotels pool enticing. But, on the up-side, the reception staff certainly understood the idea of service, and over the next 48 hours they proved invaluable to me.

With lodging taken care of, my priorities shifted to booking my much anticipated outdoor adventures. However, I hadn’t considered that the “low season” might actually mean there would be no other willing participants around town. Even my phone call earlier in the week hadn’t sparked off any alarm bells. So, I was astounded, as from one company to another, either a lack of people, no answer, or voice mail resulted in a whole lot of nothing.

My weekend was destined to fall flat - I just knew it. Little did I know that it was about to get a whole lot worse.

Later that evening I felt it necessary to go to the local mall to access an ATM which dealt with Visa. Imagine my horror when the cash machine ate my card. I almost cried on the spot. What was I going to do ?

Clearly nothing that evening, but I returned to lead the line for the next morning. A surprisingly efficient bank official flatly informed me Id have to wait for someone to come from a different branch, but, by lunchtime I should have my card. Indeed, I was holding the precious item just before noon. But rather than take a second chance, I nipped next door to the Credomatic. In any case, the line was shorter.

Horror of horrors, my card was declined. It was out of date. I walked out of the bank in disbelief, staring blindly through a veil of tears at the expiry date : 08/02. How? How? How? I had ordered a new card before leaving dear-old Ireland, but this was definitely not it. I must have grabbed the wrong one.

If anyone has experienced running out of money away from home, alone, you will certainly understand how I was feeling.

By the miracle of collect phone calls, I managed to arrange an emergency Visa card. However, as the choice had been either cash or card, I was now in dire straits for cash. The card was valuable for long-term, but how was I going to make it through the weekend?

Luckily, the reception staff at the Partenon Beach came to my rescue - one paid for my taxi, and another arranged a heavy discount for my second night’s stay. They kindly arranged with Atlantic Airlines for me to take the next available flight back to Tegucigalpa. So, with three tomatoes, two plums and a bread roll I figured I could avoid starvation for the next day and a half.

The elements, obviously in sympathy with my predicament, gave an angry display of force that night. Lightning flashed between thunderous roars and the rain teemed down with no sign of respite. One of the excursion companies obviously decided that the rapids might be suitably ferocious the following day, and, in a cruel twist of fate, broke my evenings bankrupt silence with a phone call, tempting me with a raft ride.

The next day, sunbathing inside the fence surrounding the hotel beach, accompanied by a few cows lazing at the water’s edge, I had my first and only relaxing moment of the trip. When it was time to go, just to reinforce the kindness of the hotel staff, I was given Lps. 50 to pay for my taxi back to the airport, and my disappointing weekend was put to an end.

That night, with money and a new Visa card safely tucked in my pocket, I was sad that my weekend hadn’t gone as planned, but I had to admit that I’d never forget the staff at Partenon Beach. If things had gone differently, I’d never be able to tell you how great they were.

Until next week.


 

On the Road Again : From Tegucigalpa to Roatan in a Weekend

The view from West End’s lone street. After a day of tourist activities all boats wait in silence for the next day’s business.

By AINE CARVILL

When work is a pleasure and weekends are endless, to quote a famous line, life really is ‘As good as it gets
I had decided to go to La Ceiba to visit a little more of Honduras. However, when I arrived at the airport a flight was leaving for Roatan at the same time, with two of my volunteer friends on it, one of whom was celebrating his birthday. So, rubber arm twisted tightly behind my back, I joined them for my first visit to the Bay Islands.

A smooth flight, mostly at an altitude of a few thousand feet, and with relatively few clouds made Honduras and its copious forests look particularly brilliant. And it was no more than an hour later when our twin-engine propeller touched down on Roatan's tiny, sea-side airstrip.

The largest of the Bay Islands, Roatan lies about 50km off the north coast of Honduras from La Ceiba. It is surrounded by over 100km of living reef, making it a snorkeling and diving paradise.
Unlike last week’s jaunt to Belize’s Caye Caulker, this trip led me to the true romantic definition of an island. Hills, jungle, quiet villages and sandy beaches make up Roatan's 50km stretch.

Taxis in abundance were touting for business at the airport, so having negotiated a deal of Lps 90, we set off for the backpackers paradise of West End. Fearing an expensive resort overrun with five-star hotels and private beaches, I was pleasantly surprised at what I found. Sand streets, low-rise budget accommodations, beach shacks serving food and drinks and even a few swings for ambiance.

The question is : Is it possible to visit Roatan on a budget weekend ? Absolutely, Valerie’s was our lodging of choice and at $5 per person, I forgave the crab in the toilet, lizard in the shower and green winged torpedo that flew at me when I jumped and screamed having just noticed the above other two.
The lady herself was very much in evidence and imparted lots of helpful information over the course of our short stay and, with 19 years on the island to draw from had a few interesting stories to tell.

Roatan’s West Bay beach offers easy access to reef snorkeling. As tourism numbers increase, so does damage to the reef.

Having only 2 days to spend on the island, we had to be selective as to choices of activities and the birthday celebrations of the first evening involved one too many Monkey La Las and Pina Coladas to attempt anything too strenuous the following day. So, a boat trip to the reef sounded like just the ticket!

Captain Alex cajoled us into joining him on his boat, the ‘Adventure Girl, and at the price he quoted, we were more than happy to. Presently Roatan is experiencing its low season and there were not many other tourists around, something that we mostly found working in our favor, pricewise.

At 45 years old Alex’s sail boat was a little jaded, but had heaps of character and with only the 3 of us on board, plus Alex’s unmistakable presence, we enjoyed a magnificent day. Hugging the coast, we part sailed, part motored towards the reef, spending time snorkeling, swimming, and, in the boys case, fishing - or trying to.

Lunch was caught by Sean and Alex, 2 juicy lobsters, and as the waves lapped gently against the boat, the rays of the sun drying the salt into what seemed like a white crust covering my body, I drifted into a hazy semi consciousness stretched out along the bow. In fact, we were so relaxed that when we pulled in to dock it barely registered that Alex inflated the price by almost 1000 percent.

What turned out to be quite an unpleasant “discussion” ensued. The result was a partial compromise, still outrageous, but less than he was demanding. As we walked back to our hotel, the financial loss was easy to shake off, but the threats he made on our lives lingered a little longer.

Restaurants, in the area offered a varied menu, from seafood to pizza to Thai specialties, and the Moon Bay Apartments conjured up a particularly tasty blackened grouper.

The renowned beach of the island is undoubtedly ‘West Bay beach, just a few kilometers from West End. With clear turquoise water, colorful fish, powdery white sand and coconut palms, it stands to rival the best of the best. Unfortunately I only got to gaze longingly across the water as time did not permit a visit.

So a quick swim at Luna Beach had to do the trick. The water was nice, but I did not bargain for the passenger in the minibus who tried to steal my sandals from behind me as I sat cooling my feet at the waters edge. Luckily, he failed. Otherwise I would have arrived back in Tegucigalpa, shoeless and though it is perfectly acceptable to wander around Roatan barefoot, the same would look more than a little odd here.

However, much worse were the countless sand fly bites that were given to me as a parting gift. I thought I was invincible, sprays, repellents, plug ins, every device on the market, but nothing could deter them from sweet Irish skin and returning with a total of 110 bites, little wonder that the kids in school asked as to whether I had developed the measles!

Having said this, the bad parts of the trip were purely bad luck on my part. Roatan is a gem in the Caribbean - an island which Honduras is clearly proud to call its own. Whether the islanders themselves feel a Honduran National pride is questionable. Like many islanders worldwide, they feel a little detached from the mainland or certainly anywhere beyond La Ceiba. But, in many ways that is a big part of their charm.

Until next week



A Weekend Vacation

By GABRIEL GRIMES

The city wasn’t really getting on my nerves, nor was the incessant blaring of taxi-cab horns particularly annoying. But an opportunity to visit Nicaragua arose, and who am I to refuse an adventure?

My brother and I broke out the piggy bank and pulled together a few hundred dollars. After a quick visit to the travel agency and with our minds now full of visions of a beautiful beach, all the food and drink we could possibly gorge ourselves with and activities to match that of the rich and famous we left to pack our bags.

Just before the world woke up, the next day, we packed up the Montero, picked up our two friends and headed for the Guasaule border. Once arrived, leaving Honduras was a breeze, but crossing the bridge into Nicaragua was a different story. After visiting several offices and paying an 8 dollar entrance fee each, we were half done. Eventually, after more delays, we started off again. Hungry, tired and hot, we thought the worst was behind us. Little did we know we had the ride of our lives ahead of us.
The next hour and a half was the longest I have ever experienced. The road was terrible. The holes were not just pot-holes, but enormous, goodbye-Volkswagen holes. All I could think of was, “In a few days we have to come back this way! Perhaps we should go back now and just tell everyone the beach was ‘great”. But I was on an adventure. I had to tough it out. So with a smile and gritted teeth I ooood and aaaad at the first volcano Id ever seen.

With a change in road came a change in attitude, and soon you could not have found four happier individuals than us. Two hours later, and a brief stint over cobblestone, we arrived at our final destination - Hotel Barcelo Montelimar.

We checked in quickly, and, like kids on Christmas morning, bounced out immediately for the beach. I had heard how “horrible” and “disgusting” the sand was at the resort, but I was happily disappointed to find normal brown sand mixed with strands of black volcanic sand creating beautiful designs throughout the vast beach.

Nothing could stop us. Even the gnawing hunger couldn’t keep us from jumping head-first into the breaking surf. The waves on this side of the continent were higher and stronger. We were pushed, pulled, twisted like pretzels, and we loved it. Before we realized it the sun was slipping behind the horizon.

After a warm shower, we met up at the restaurant for the lobster dinner promised us by our travel agent. We walked down the buffet line, and saw pork, beef, fish (unknown type), potatoes, and vegetables but no lobster. So I asked the host where the lobster was and he told me three different excuses and then started to back track even more and told me that I could order lobster but not only would it cost extra, it would take at lease 24 hours to get the prized dish. Since I already had beef on my plate I refused to pursue the matter and enjoy whatever they had made.

The activities were quite accessible monetarily. We rented some four wheels ATV’s and raced up and down the beach playing and spinning in circles. I do recommend that if you’re going to rent an ATV you bring shoes, not sandals.

The units weren’t very well kept and the rust on the engine and wheel rims made me wonder what it would be like to lose a wheel at 30 miles an hour. But I enjoyed jumping the dunes and racing my brother up and down the beach.

The hotel has a group of young people called Animators. They are charged with organizing daily activities and nightly entertainment. The daily activities are as fun as the people participating so, as you can imagine, when we joined in everyone had a blast! On Friday night they had an interesting “Dance Night”. For 2 hours they danced to a variety of songs and had the crowd participate in a few. It wasn’t Broadway but then, what is?

Just as we started to get used to the “free” food and drink we had to return to our “Camelot”. This time we decided to go through “Las Manos” to avoid the road from hell.
That would take us through Managua where we decided to stop and eat.

The road was as we had heardbeautiful. We arrived in Managua just in time for lunch. Since we didn’t know where to eat, we stopped and asked a police officer where he thought we should go. We sat in awe as the kindest officer I have met in Central America took the time to explain where to eat and how to get there.

We ate by the lake, but it seemed as though the cook had to go out and kill our food. After an hour and a half we were pressed for time. So we had to rush for the border, for little did I know that the border closes at 5 p.m. There were no bathroom breaks as we tried to make up for lost time. We found ourselves sliding in at the border 10 minutes before 5 p.m. Whew.

About 3 hours later we saw the lights of Tegus reflected in the clouds. Sunburned, relaxed and happy we looked forward to a night in our own beds and the daily grind of work the next day.

Barcelo Montelimar has a website address that you can find below: http://www.barcelo.com/hotels/america/montelim/monfra_i.htm
 

How ‘ bout a few dry stats to start off and finish this week’s column .... Tourism numbers were down in the first six months of this year in our ‘tourism powerhouse to the south’, Costa Rica, which received 24,000 fewer tourists, a drop of 3.9%. During the first half of 2002 Costa Rica received 594,433 tourists who spent $684 million. According to the Costa Rica Ministry of Tourism the drop was expected as a result of the 911 attacks. However the Ministry pointed out that given the gravity of the post 911 period, the relatively small drop in tourism to Costa Rica was not a serious issue.

* * *

Who would of think it ..... the nations of Central America working together as a group to promote tourism to the isthmus .......? Well it’s true. The nations of Central America for the first time have embarked on a new more cooperative strategy to encourage tourism to the region. Starting in 2003 Central America will promote itself in select European markets as one common destination. To get the project up and running, each Central American nation, including Belize will shell out $50,000 to a common fund which will be used to contract a consultant and to open an office in Europe where the campaign will be based.

* * *

And this from the ‘stranger than fiction travel news’ department .... Seems that a woman is suing Delta Airlines for ridiculing her in front of other passengers as well as sexual discrimination, anguish and negligence. Now I bet you’re wondering ... what the heck did the airlines do to this poor woman to cause her such legal and emotional grief .... well, glad you asked .... seems that the woman was asked to open her luggage (no big problem there ) and then was obliged to take out her vibrator and hold it up for all to see. Hey, I’m no lawyer here ... but personally I truly don’t see the problem..... .The lady was forced to whip out her ‘little electronic companion’ ... big whoop!

* * *

Word ‘round Copan Ruinas is that President Maduro and his party held court on a recent balmy August evening at none other than one of my favorite little Copan bistros, Carnitas Nia Lola. And of course I’m sure you are probably wondering what they ate ....my guess would be pinchos .... Carnitas is world famous for it’s huge-mungous pinchos (shishkabobs). I have actually seen tourists ( with my own two eyes - and on numerous occasions photographing their steaming plate of grilled pincho prior to devouring it ... they’re that big and that pretty!

* * *

President Maduro was also in Copan to talk tourism. According to the President some big changes will be coming our way over the next three years that remain of his administration. The big news is that Copan Ruinas will finally get it’s airport, which will be located at La Estanzuela. It is projected that the airstrip which is 5km from the archeological park will receive small planes of the 20 - 30 passenger capacity range. In addition, the Los Tablones airstrip on the Guatemalan side of the border will be brought up to speed to receive internal Guatemalan flights. From Los Tablones it’s a short hop by land transport to Copan Ruinas. Other projects outlined by the President are the organization of the historic center of the village of Copan Ruinas and the rehabilitation of historical public buildings such as the Cabanas Fort which will be restored with the help of the government of Italy.

Aine enjoys her time in Belize in the company of a large stingray.

With no cash in sight, I asked if they took Visa. No, but I could pay at a souvenir shop, they said. So I ambled over to settle my $27 bill. The souvenir shop would charge me an extra $6 for providing their kind service, but didn’t accept Visa. My good humor was fast evaporating. To think that I had chosen air travel above the chicken bus on this occasion for ease!

Eventually a hidden Lps. 100, for that rainy day, was found in the recesses of my pack and I ungraciously paid my dues and headed out into the sunshine and my first TACA flight.
(Note to readers: The confiscation of my mosquito repellent and bug spray in San Pedro Sula on the return flight to Tegucigalpa, has resulted in my loathing of airport officials. When questioned why, the answer came in the inane response of ‘es prohibido, never mind that Ive traveled from Ireland, through the UK, USA, to Honduras and from here to El Salvador, Guatemala and Belize, with the same, yet it is ‘prohibido to travel from SPS to Tegucigalpa with repellent! )

Having set off from Tegucigalpa at 7 a.m., I had landed in Belize City by 10 a.m.. The familiar rush of balmy air filled the plane when the doors opened, and my ill feeling from the morning drifted away as I felt the immediate calming of a relaxing weekend of sun, sea, sand and lots of snorkeling.

Belize, lying directly to the north of Honduras, above Guatemala, the only English speaking Central American country, is a colorful, ramshackle, Caribbean style mix of hustle and bustle. A $17.50 taxi ride to the city center was my first introduction to Belize prices.

The city is on a par with the size of any European town and the city center can be covered by foot in an hour, including photo stops.

My ultimate destination was to be Caye Caulker, 32km north of Belize City and less than 1km from the world’s 2nd largest barrier reef. The hour long boat ride was bliss. A speed boat trip along the Belizian coast winding through the islands, parting the turquoise Caribbean waters far away from the pollution and grime of the big city was just what the doctor ordered.

Caye Caulker is about 6.5km long, but since Hurricane Hattie split the island in two a few years ago, the northern part of the island remains mostly undeveloped land, part of which has been declared a nature reserve. South of the split, an area of approximately 800m by 400m, mangrove covers most of the shore and coconut palms provide shade. Brightly painted low-rise wooden cabanas pepper the 3 streets, known as Front St, Middle St and Back St. The streets are sand covered, and the only traffic noise to be heard is the slow whir of golf carts - transport for the lazy.

The ambiance is so laid back, it is almost horizontal. Hammocks swing on shady porches, Belikin beer and local rum seem to be on tap; lobster, crab and shrimp are the food of the day; and the island jams rhythmically to the reggae beat of Bob Marley and friends.

Heaven on earth, and I had found it almost by accident. Don’t come here looking for luxurious accommodation, complete with all modern facilities. Guesthouses (known as Hotels) are basic, amenities are non-existent, but what do you need in Utopia?

Restaurants and bars on the island literally consist of tables and chairs or benches planted in the sand. The seafood is fresh and plentiful and comparatively inexpensive - a grilled lobster with a beer costs $11.

The top prize for what has to be THE coolest night spot ever goes to I&I. The place has a treehouse built on stilts, Rastafarian barmen serving very large measures of rum, in place of chairs there are swings and hammocks, and the entire bar grooves to the reggae beat in the light of the moon. Believe me you never want to leave!

The islands daytime temperatures are blisteringly hot and the only place to be is in the water. Ras Craig, a one-man show who hangs out in the Sand Box, offers a fun filled chill day on the reef including lunch for $20. His craft is a little motorized deck with a ‘roof garden of thatch and woven bamboo. This Rastafarian is committed to his guests. He provides snorkeling equipment to swim above the coral with baby sharks and sting rays. He hunted out iguanas in the mangroves and sea horses in the murky shallow waters of the West Coast and gave us a botany lesson. He produced the most amazing lobster curry stew, Creole-style, from what seemed like nothing, cooked on a hot plate with a few basic vegetables, and even serenaded us with his drums and a few Caribbean renditions.

All too soon my 4 days were over, and, as my speedboat pulled away from the dock, I thought about the bar slogan advertising “The Lazy Lizard” at the Split. The sign reads, “The sunny place for shady people,” and I smiled to myself. That just about sums up Caye Caulker.

No shoes, No shirt, No problem.

Until next week.

Official Bay Islands Website now Online
Marketing firm to extend international awareness through aggressive internet marketing plan for the Bay Islands

With the introduction of the Bay Island’s website, marketers hope more tourists will enjoy sunsets over the water in Utila. The website is designed to generate interest in the Islands and provide online service for dive groups, tour operators and tourists. In time the site will allow entire vacations
 to be planned on the web.