"Aldo Solari [APS]" wrote:
(huge snips)
 
> Art, there are three points I would like to clarify:
> 
> (1). There are international guidelines (given by UNESCO)

So, you consider UNESCO the final arbitrer of these things? Really?

Not a few might disagree with you, the UN, and in particular its
agencies are not, NOT, perfect. I recall UNICEF renting the most
expensive offices in Paris as an example.

> for the
> concept  of  "cultural/natural heritage" on both sea and land. In
> principle,  everything  *is*  cultural/natural  heritage  unless
> declared  otherwise. And this goes beyond the interest of many of
> those divers who "take a piece home" (ie. deny to others the very
> same sites where they themslves liked to dive);

You're saying that the "others" will see the same things? In the same
light? I don't think so.

In the immediate area that the boat I dive from locally can
comfortably achieve there are five wrecks that we know of, all at, or
just less than, 50 metres. The Galava, especially, is now
unrecognisable when compared to just 10 years ago.
 
> (2).  Combination  of  scuba gear + spear fishing is forbidden in
> many  countries. The reason is very clear: spear fishing combined
> to  scuba  gear  imply  the local extinction of many coastal fish
> species.  A  well  of  scientific  (exclusion)  studies have been
> conducted on this in the Mediterranean; even the sole presence of
> divers (who just watch) is known to disturb many species.

Agreed. Coming from a very keen spearfisherman in my youth I consider
that the taking of any, ANY, living thing underwater whilst on a life
support system is wrong.

Unless you are duly licensed and doing so commercially when the taking
of that resource can be controlled.

I know, especially my US cousins will now dump on me from a very great
height. ;-(
 
> trawling is done on
> demersal  or  pelagic species at a minimum of 5 km off the shore.
> The  species  are  different. While trawling is known to collapse
> fish populations so does spear fishing in coastal systems.

ABSOLUTE RUBBISH. Do not confuse (I'm being presumptuous here) YOUR
rules with those elsewhere. Trawling, including beach trawling (think
about that, some call it netting), is done universally.

Trawling by boat is done wherever there is something to trawl and ,
indeed, often where there is NOTHING to trawl (but the by-catch is
still there).

More importantly, the by-catch of trawling (being all else than the
specific thing the trawler is netting for) is commonly dumped back
into the sea with very close to no chance of survival.

Trawlers, especially bottom trawlers, have a lot to answer for.
 
> The  level  of education in the diver population is low both here
> and  in  the US. Training is solely technical,

Oh yes? Care to expound on that?

> quality is bad

An oxymoron when taken in conjunction with your above comment?

> and it  lacks  several  subjects  which are highly significant. There
> should be course work at university level for those interested in
> a  diving  license.  The  University  of  Barcelona  (Spain), for
> instance,  has  started  such  couses  and  it  is  a  very  fine
> initiative.   Wreckers  should  study  basics  in  law,  cultural
> heritage,  social  anthropology  and  archeology. Nobody will get
> killed by going to some seminars, reading some material and doing
> some field work with specialized instructors.

I'll agree that although this is a laudable objective I suspect that
it is not practical to any extent in today's climate.

Gee: potential diver approaches owner of dive shop:

Question: "Excuse me, I'd like to learn to dive?"

Let's here exclude all the other things that the potential diver needs
to be asked, such as, oh, asthma, inter alia.

Answer: "Are you enrolled in a University?"

I rest my case as to the rest.
 
> In  the  US, course work is always expensive.

Now that's a fairly definitive statement. Are you sure?

> However, you could
> talk to many people from public universities who -I am sure- will
> be  more  than  glad  to  talk you through 4-5 seminars on diving
> related aspects for free.

I'm not qualified to comment, are you?

Off Topic as usual, so I'm outta here.

Cheers,

Christian
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