Mailing List Archive Mailing List Archive
This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_001B_01BE553C.C66BB9E0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable While the Micronesian Island of Rota is planning to add two wrecks to = its list of dive sites, dive shop owners say Truk is putting it's = largest (and only) tourist attraction at risk. Divers from all over the world come to Truk to dive at any one of the 48 = ships sunk in the lagoon in 1944. The ships lay on the sandy bottom of = the lagoon and have made an attractive artificial reef protected from = the ocean by Truk's coral reef. But the tropical fish that make the ships such an interesting dive may = also be their demise, as one popular, although illegal, way to fish is = by throwing glass bottles of dynamite with a lighted fuse into the = water. Ironically, the ships themselves are the source of the dynamite, locals = assholes take the gun powder out of the bombs which they steal from the = wrecks. Dynamited fish feed the families on Truk and are sold at the local fish = market, says Manny Sonnis, director of marine resources for Truk. He = acknowledges that dynamiting is so popular he gets reports about it = every other day. Sonis said his department sends patrol boats into the = lagoon everyday. While some dive boats anchor on the wrecks and damage = them, he said he's had no reports of dynamiting there. No reports of wreck blasting have reached the Truk Visitors Bureau, said = Betty Irons, acting director. Irons used to work for the police = department which patrolled the lagoon as well. "Dynamiting can damage the coral and all the beauty," she stated. Truk = is known throughout the world for these things we have underwater." Though dynamiting the wrecks is illegal, enforcement is lacking, said = Aisek. Who is on the lagoon everyday as part of his dive business. And = he has never seen a Marine Resources boat patrolling the reef. "There are lots of ways to catch fish, but dynamiting is the easiest and = the dynamite is free for those stupid enough to take it from 50 year old = 500 pound bombs." Pacific Daily News ------=_NextPart_000_001B_01BE553C.C66BB9E0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <META content=3Dtext/html;charset=3Diso-8859-1 = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META content=3D'"MSHTML 4.72.3110.7"' name=3DGENERATOR> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>While the Micronesian Island of Rota = is planning=20 to add two wrecks to its list of dive sites, dive shop owners say Truk = is=20 putting it's largest (and only) tourist attraction at risk.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>Divers from all over the world come = to Truk to=20 dive at any one of the 48 ships sunk in the lagoon in 1944. The = ships lay=20 on the sandy bottom of the lagoon and have made an attractive artificial = reef=20 protected from the ocean by Truk's coral reef.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>But the tropical fish that make the = ships such=20 an interesting dive may also be their demise, as one popular, although = illegal,=20 way to fish is by throwing glass bottles of dynamite with a lighted fuse = into=20 the water.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>Ironically, the ships themselves are = the source=20 of the dynamite, locals assholes take the gun powder out of the bombs = which they=20 steal from the wrecks.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>Dynamited fish feed the families on = Truk and are=20 sold at the local fish market, says Manny Sonnis, director of marine = resources=20 for Truk. He acknowledges that dynamiting is so popular he gets = reports=20 about it every other day. Sonis said his department sends patrol = boats=20 into the lagoon everyday. While some dive boats anchor on the = wrecks and=20 damage them, he said he's had no reports of dynamiting = there.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>No reports of wreck blasting have = reached the=20 Truk Visitors Bureau, said Betty Irons, acting director. Irons = used to=20 work for the police department which patrolled the lagoon as = well.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>"Dynamiting can damage the = coral and all=20 the beauty," she stated. Truk is known throughout the world = for these=20 things we have underwater."</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>Though dynamiting the wrecks is = illegal,=20 enforcement is lacking, said Aisek. Who is on the lagoon everyday = as part=20 of his dive business. And he has never seen a Marine Resources = boat=20 patrolling the reef.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>"There are lots of ways to catch fish, but = dynamiting is=20 the easiest and the dynamite is free for those stupid enough to take it = from 50=20 year old 500 pound bombs."</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2><EM><STRONG>Pacific Daily = News</FONT></STRONG></EM></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_001B_01BE553C.C66BB9E0-- -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
Navigate by Author:
[Previous]
[Next]
[Author Search Index]
Navigate by Subject:
[Previous]
[Next]
[Subject Search Index]
[Send Reply] [Send Message with New Topic]
[Search Selection] [Mailing List Home] [Home]