5 FEBRUARY 2015

SHOP TO SUPPORT AT OUR ECO STORE

ROATAN MARINE PARK

NEW DIVE SITES THANKS TO OUR GOLD MEMBERS

CORDELIA BANKS JEWEL OF THE CARIBBEAN

Photo by Lanai Bayne

It’s our

10th Birthday!

Our 10 year anniversary is coming up and we will be celebrating in Carnival Style. The event will be hosted on the 27th of February 2015 at Bananarama Resort, West Bay. You are all invited to join in the celebrations and fun. There will be a tasty BBQ and drinks will be flowing along with live music. We will be there from 1pm with lots of fun games for everyone.‘Dive Shop Feud’, Beer Pong, sand castle competitions, face painting, snow cones and lots of prizes to be won. Watch out for more details and keep the date in your diary. Want to know more about the event, or about what we do and how you can support our conservation efforts? Get in touch. We’re here to help. Facebook/Roatan Marine Park . www.roatanmarinepark.net [email protected] Tel: 24454206 Cel: 3285 6040

!1

5 FEBRUARY 2015

It’s Official! We are now officially Co Managers of the National Marine Park of the Bay Islands, which is the largest marine protected area in Honduras. Working alongside our neighbours in Utila and Guanaja, we are proudly managing the area with 12 other organisations who have also signed the agreement. Each have their specific responsibilities to implement the Management Plan. Our partners include ICF, SERNA (Mi Ambiente),The Institute of Honduran Tourism IHT, SAG/DIGEPESCA, La Zona Libre Turística (ZOLITUR), The Municipality of Roatan, Santos Guardiola , Utila y Guanaja and 4 NGO’s The Bay Islands Conservation Association, Fundación Islas de la Bahía (FIB),Centro de Ecología Marina(CEM). We look forward to continuing to work together for the protection and development of Roatan and the Bay Islands.

Honey, You’re the Best! Thanks to grant funding from KFW,Co operation Alemania and MarFund, our Corozal Bee Project is going well. This is an alternative livelihood project which aims to take pressure off the reef by developing income streams for local communities other than fishing. This rich island honey is made in Corozal where our healthy happy bees live and work with the community. The project started in 2014 with just 4 bee hives and now have 39. So far we have two types of honey, the first comes packed with a big chunk of honeycomb. For the days that you are feeling under the weather, we have medicinal honey available which is infused with eucalyptus, peppermint and 10% propolis to get you feeling better in no time. Both types of honey are 100% tasty and 100% natural. Available at our Eco Store, West End. If you have a hive that you need to have moved, please call us on 3285 6040.


ROATAN MARINE PARK

Shop to Support

We have new locally made products available at our Eco Store including a new range of natural insect repellents.Using natural products can reduce the impact that we have on the reef. Studies show that entering into the sea after applying sunscreens and other products can cause a major impact to our marine ecosystem.

All proceeds from our shop go directly into saving the reef. So if you are looking for a place to buy some tshirts or locally sourced souvenirs to take home, why not choose the Eco Store where your contributions really do make a difference.

SOS Save Our Seahorses Say NO to souvenirs made from seahorses or any other marine life.

!2

5 FEBRUARY 2015

ROATAN MARINE PARK

Protecting our Pride This last year has been amazing for Bay Islanders in the diving workforce! in the past year with help of Kfw, Marfund and diveshops around the island, we have managed to certify 25 Open water, 17 Advanced Open Water, 12 Rescue and 12 Divemasters. We hope to continue this program for many years to come and appreciate all the help everyone has provided. Getting out there, diving and sharing our passion is the most sustainable way to protect the reef and Roatan’s aquatic environment. We protect it by being proud of it!




Cup campaign Last year we launched our paper cup campaign, and in the past 12 months have distributed over 300,000 cups, reducing the amount of plastic cups that ended in the dump from bars in West End and West Bay. Starting with a 12oz cup, we now incorporate 16oz cups and this year we will be diversifying our paper range to include paper straws. If you would like to make the switch from plastic to paper, get in touch with us. Email: [email protected] or call Nic 33206940

Platinum Members

!3

5 FEBRUARY 2015

ROATAN MARINE PARK

Ideas Worth Spreading Executive Director of the Roatan Marine Park, Giacomo Palavicini has been busy building bridges from Guatemala to Honduras, Tegucigalpa to Roatan. Giacomo was invited to give a TEDX talk about his idea worth spreading; protecting sharks. Raising awareness about sharks, their importance to our ecosystem and why we need to protect them is a lifestyle for Giacomo and one which brings him travelling to all parts of the globe. Films such as Jaws caused a huge impact on the way we think about sharks. People fear them and hence think it is best to hunt them rather than protect them. This is something Giacomo is passionate about turning around. Sharks are widely fished without the realisation that not only are they important for our ecosystem but have such a high level of mercury that it is also dangerous for people to consume them. Giacomo offers a shark course which gives a full history of sharks, their biology and their behaviour. By quantifying the amount of money a fisherman can earn by killing sharks and comparing that to the amount that can be earned by protecting them and their value to the tourism industry, he was able to prove an important point and begin begin a Shark Sanctuary here in Honduras. With this knowledge and research, Giacomo has been invited to present on a regular basis to help spread the ideas of shark protection amongst other NGO’s and conservationists who can benefit with this knowledge to help influence protection laws in other countries. Other important and influential workshops which Giacomo has participated recently include improving enforcement regulations and fisheries management. A recent interview on Teleprensa Noticero with Rene Betancourt from DIGEPESCA is testimony to the improvement in conservation conscious fishermen. This video underlines that fishing is not prohibited but is regulated by the Roatan Marine Park. Rene Betancourt remarks on how it is not possible to fish like you could 40 years ago, and that it is important to take care of the reef ecosystem. This frame of mind is very important and a great result from the presence of the Marine Park working closely with fisheries. Gold Business Members

!4

5 FEBRUARY 2015

ROATAN MARINE PARK

Whale Sharks, a great start to 2015 We had an exciting start to the new year with so many whale shark sightings around Roatan. Under CITES, whale sharks are currently assigned the status of ‘threatened’ and are listed as vulnerable species, however they are sadly hunted in parts of Asia such as the Philippines. Thanks to our warm water which whale sharks are fond of we are delighted to have them as visitors. As the largest fish in the sea reaching lengths of 40ft (12 meters) or more, these gentle giants feed only on plankton. They are filter feeders, jutting out their jaws and passively filtering everything in their paths.If you are lucky enough to have seen one, you will know their graceful movements and the overwhelming size are an experience you won’t forget. Having the pleasure of seeing a whale shark is one not to be missed but please do remember the guidelines for sightings so that we can ensure they feel comfortable during their stay.

•Enter the water slowly, do not jump in •Keep a minimum distance of 10meters between boat and whale shark •Minimum distance between snorkelers and Whale Shark is 3m •Surface snorkelling is permitted but scuba diving and free diving are not allowed. Photo by Caroline Power

•Do not fish, use flash lights, feed the fish or litter

24/7 Patrols Its been a busy year for our Park Rangers who have been patrolling both by land and sea. The majority of reports they deal with include warnings, arrests, denuncias and rescues, however other incidents include boat groundings, mangrove cuts, and seagrass and sand dredging. Accompanied by the Police, our Park Rangers are always on hand to save the day and their hard work and dedication should never be taken for granted. Please remember that the rangers can’t be everywhere at once and you the public, can act as watchdogs for the reef.

!5

5 FEBRUARY 2015

ROATAN MARINE PARK

Where is this magical place called “Away”?

When we say ‘throw garbage away, where is this magical place called “away”? What happens to trash after its taken from your home? Out of sight, out of mind? Our focus in 2014 was to talk about trash. We joined the Bay Islands Coastal Cleanup (BICCU) and continued educating on how keeping schools and homes litter free can help save the island. During the first half of 2014, our intern Veronica Yanes visited 17 complete schools talking to a total of 2546 students. In addition to the classroom presentations, we also coordinated field trips with the Glass Bottom Boat in West Bay, and trips to Gumbalimba Park and Maya Key. No matter where we take kids, we always reiterate that terrestrial environment has a direct impact on our marine environment as everything is connected! We coordinated more than 20 field trips and enlightened 531 kids! All in all over 3500 kids throughout the entire island were reached in 2014! 


As we all know out of sight is not necessarily out of mind. We would like to thank all the communities, schools, and businesses for all your hard work throughout the year! With everyone lending a hand, we can maintain Roatan’s natural beauty!

!6

5 FEBRUARY 2015

ROATAN MARINE PARK

Thank you for your support!

We would like to thank all of our supporters, big and small, and highlight that without you promoting our conservation message, we would be unable to continue protecting Roatan's reef.

These graphs indicate funds generated in 2014 from the sale of the "user fee" and membership payments from businesses and dive shops around the island. They do not include user fees on consignment,t-shirt sales or lionfish licenses. The graph above indicates dive shops and businesses within the Sandy Bay West End Marine Reserve , while the graph below is from supporters elsewhere around the island.

!7

5 FEBRUARY 2015

ROATAN MARINE PARK

Marine Infrastructure Update Zack’s Patch &Tommy’s Laugh We would like to thank our latest Individual Gold Members Christopher Dye and Daniel Szpak who after diving at AKR decided to dedicate a dive site to their recently departed dog Zack. The site, “Zack’s Patch”, is located between Mac’s Wall and Peter’s Place just to the east of AKR. It sits in around 35ft of water with the shallow reef full of intricate swim throughs while the deep wall is some distance away. In commemoration of Tommy, a boat captain from Native Sons Dive Shop, some individuals pooled together to purchase a dive site for the much loved captain. As a reminder of his smile and charisma, “Tommy’s Laugh” sits in the shallows just to the east of the El Aguila wreck. Ideal for snorkeling and diving, the shallow reefs are vibrant with healthy corals while the deep plateau stretches for quite some time.

B’s Deep & Lynn’s Arena A repeat supporter from earlier this year, Melanie Merlino who dives at Coconut Tree Divers, wanted to make a further donation and allowed her son to name the new site “B’s Deep”. The mooring is between the Odyssey wreck and Spenser’s Rose Garden at the end of Sandy Bay and is by a small channel. To the west, steep walls run from the reef crest down to 100ft, while in front and to the east the reef slopes towards the abyss so both options offer a great dive. Another pair of divers from AKR, Lynn McRoy and Clinton Clapp, decided to name their site “Lynn’s Arena”. The last dive site before you get to Mora channel, this area has almost step like features from the shallows to beyond 140ft and tiger grouper spawning has also been seen around this spot.

Havey’s Hideaway As a commemoration to our recently departed board member and friend to many people on the island, “Havey’s Hideaway” was dedicated to Mark Havey who passed away early last year . The mooring is located between the Odyssey wreck and Mora Channel, with the cement chain grounding containing a bag of his ashes, a guitar pick and a can of his favourite beer, Port Royal. He will be sorely missed and hopefully having this mooring will ensure never forgotten. !8

5 FEBRUARY 2015

ROATAN MARINE PARK

Single Divers Another reoccurring member who has been supporting the RMP for the past 3 years is Singledivers.com. Staying at Media Luna on the east end of Roatan just past Parrot Tree Plantation, they have paid for the installation of 3 new dive sites in so many years. The latest is a site just to the east of Calvin’s Crack near Jonesville. The moorings is set in a shallow sand patch, close to the wall adjacent to the channel, and about 2kms east of last year’s buoy. If you are interested in naming your own dive site, all you need to do is become a Gold Individual Member and can have a dive mooring installed in a new location with your chosen name.

Jewel of the Caribbean, Cordelia Banks. Located south of the airport, Cordelia and Smith bank comprises of some of the most pristine coral reefs in the whole Mesoamerican region. With funding from CORAL and Port of Roatan, we recently installed demarcation buoys, along with snorkel and dive moorings to reduce anchor and grounding damage. Eight demarcation buoys were installed to indicate the areas around Coredlia where entrance is restricted (within the red marking). Elsewhere, 4 deep water fishing moorings were installed; along with 5 snorkel moorings in phase one of the project. The aim for 2015 is to install further demarcation buoys and new channel markers, along with additional snorkel, fishing and snorkel moorings.

Come one, come all Would you like to have a positive direct impact on the reef? Do you have a few hours to spare? We are constantly looking for volunteers to help us walk the beaches during cruise ship days and as high season is in full swing it’s the perfect time to lend a helping hand and protect the reef! If you are interested please contact Christi [email protected] or call 3289-1213

Silver Business Members

!9