KUCHING, Malaysia (1 Oct 2004) -- While pitching scuba diving tourism at Asia Pacific Ecotourism Conference 2004 in Malaysia, a PADI vice president has acknowledged that divers damage coral reefs especially in popular diving areas, and urged local community leaders to avoid certain sites. PADI Vice President of Legal Affairs, Al Hornsby, who was at the helm of Skin Diver magazine when it went belly up in 2002, told conference attendees that scuba divers cause damage to coral reefs because "...divers intentionally or inadvertently touch corals an average of 10 times per dive...unintentional damage from fins is the primary culprit..." Hornsby, a strident promoter of shark feeding thrill dives and other harassment of marine wildlife during his tenure as editor of Skin Diver, admitted in his presentation entitled "Community, Conservation and Commerce: The Underwater View" that even if a minority of divers are causing the damage, coral reefs can quickly be degraded in regions where scuba diving is popular. Hornsby also urged local community leaders and tour operators to avoid certain sites apparently referring to fully protected no-dive, no-take marine reserves, a conservation strategy supported by the vast majority of the scientific community. PADI vice president Al Hornsby shows off his bold new tattoo. | | In many coastal resort areas, scuba diving and snorkeling have become the primary cause of damage to fragile coral reefs. Despite problems related to Muslim fanatics and terrorism, Malaysia is pushing ahead with ambitious plans to develop its tourism industry and PADI wants to be a major player in coastal resort developments. "(Local residents) must have traditional sources of livelihood replaced by tourism-related opportunities, such as becoming boat captains, boat crew, maintenance personnel, instructors, guides and resort staff," Hornsby said referring to jobs generated by PADI's global network of dive shops and dive resorts. Other presentions at APECO 2004 included "Show Me the Money: An Investor's Perspective" by Robert Hecker, "How To Develop That Marketing Plan & Bring In The Customer" by Uttara Sarkar Crees and "The Big Green Debate: 'Ecotourism is all about Green-Washing. The Industry Is Only Paying Lip Service For Monetary Gain'". © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORK |
