Document code: WD-1 (Working Draft)
Draft number: WHVS4
Title:
Voluntary Standard for
Scuba Diving and Snorkeling
Activities in
Prepared by:
Members of the Kona’s Community
with the assistance of the Coral Reef
Keywords:
conservation;
coral reefs; environment; marine recreation; preferred practices for good
environmental behavior; SCUBA diving, snorkeling, SNUBA diving.
Abstract:
This voluntary
standard specifies standards for environmental performance, conservation
practices and operational safety that enhance SCUBA diving (including SNUBA
diving) and snorkeling activities while minimizing environmental impacts of
recreational usage on fragile marine ecosystems in the waters of West Hawaii - particularly
near-shore coral reefs, related coastal environments and impacts on marine
species such as cetaceans, turtles, monk seals, and other animals. This
standard was developed by community members within
Scope:
This
Terms and Definitions:
3.1 Coral reef conservation
The act of
preserving and protecting coral reefs, related near-shore ecosystems, and
coastal environments from degradation.
3.2 Coral reef
ecology
The study of
organisms in their coral reef environment that includes the interactions within
this environment.
3.3 Divemaster
A person who
holds a current professional-level rating from a recognized training agency
(such as PADI/NAUI/SSI/YMCA) at a level of “divemaster”, equivalent or higher
and who has sufficient knowledge, skill and experience to plan, organize,
supervise, and lead dives to known sites within the region; possesses personal
rescue and rescue management skills.
3.4 Environmental
briefing
Information on
ways and reasons to minimize impact on coral reefs and related costal
environments while SCUBA diving and snorkeling verbally presented by a
divemaster, snorkel leader, captain, or naturalist prior to engaging in the
activity.
3.5 Guided SCUBA
diving
Organized SCUBA
diving where clients are accompanied by a divemaster appointed by the marine
recreation provider.
3.6 Guided
snorkeling
Organized
snorkeling where clients are accompanied by a snorkeling leader appointed by
the marine recreation provider.
3.7 Harassment
(Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) official definition)
Any act of pursuit,
torment or annoyance that
(a)
injures or has the potential to
injure a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild; or
(b)
disturbs or has the potential to
disturb a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild by causing
disruption of natural behavioral patterns, including, but not limited to:
migration, surface breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding, or sheltering.
3.8 Independent
SCUBA diving
SCUBA diving
activities in which individuals are not accompanied by a divemaster but have
rented equipment from a marine recreational provider.
3.9 Independent
snorkeling
Snorkeling
activities in which individuals are not accompanied by a snorkel leader but
have rented equipment from a marine recreational provider.
3.10 Marine
Protected Area (MPA)
An area of the
marine environment that has been reserved by federal or state laws and/or
regulations to provide protection and conservation of all the marine,
terrestrial, and cultural resources within its boundaries.
3.11 Marine
recreation provider:
Entity (business, individual, or organization), including any individual acting
on behalf of such entity, which offers one or more of the following services to
individuals as for hire.
(a) training, education or information sharing on SCUBA, snorkeling, kayaking,
surfing, or other marine recreational activity.
(b) Guided operations of SCUBA diving, Snorkeling, Surfing, kayaking, marine
wildlife viewing, sightseeing, or rental of powered or unpowered boats, with or
without crew, or other recreational activity
(c) Rental of recreational snorkeling, SCUBA diving, kayaking, surfing, or
other marine recreational activity equipment.
(d) Environmental education prior to or during guided activities, or prior to
the rental of equipment, to persons participating in marine recreational
activities.
(e) Entities providing transportation as a tour to an area for shoreline
activities, such as bus drivers and tour guide operations
3.12 Safety
briefing
Information
sharing by marine recreation providers that instructs and guides those
participating in SCUBA diving and snorkeling activities in safety and
operational practices prior to engaging in these activities.
3.13 SCUBA diving
Underwater
recreational activity which utilizes a self-contained underwater breathing
apparatus (SCUBA), rebreather apparatus, or hosing supplied from a surface
float (such as snuba diving).
3.14 Snorkel leader
A person who has
sufficient knowledge, skill, and experience to plan, organize, supervise, and
lead snorkelers to known sites within the region.
Requirements:
4.1.1 Divers are
encouraged to always dive with a divemaster, but it is not mandatory. During
guided SCUBA diving group size shall not exceed eight certified divers per
divemaster. When a group consists of more than eight divers, additional
divemasters shall be used to ensure environmentally sustained practices are
upheld by all divers. Divemasters shall model appropriate behavior, share
information, and demonstrate leadership to clients, both above and below water,
by enforcing all provisions of Annex A.
4.1.2 Marine
recreation providers, captains, and crew shall ensure all Coast Guard required
safety equipment is onboard in proper working order before each charter. This
includes but is not limited to PFD’s, first aid kits, working marine radio,
fire extinguishers, flares, etc.
4.1.3 All boats
conducting diving excursions shall carry an emergency oxygen unit on board.
4.1.4 During
guided SCUBA diving and snorkeling excursions marine recreation providers and
their staff are responsible for pointing out poor behavior (in a positive and
supportive manner) to divers and snorkelers while in the water. After a dive or snorkel operators and their
staff shall provide information on why and how to adjust this behavior to
generate positive outcomes.
4.1.5 Staff must
be properly trained in management of clients who disregard rules or display
ignorance of environmental impacts associated with inappropriate diver/snorkeler
behavior. After training, dive and snorkel leaders shall have practical tools
and methods at their disposal for taking corrective action, including the
following: verbally communicating with the client in a positive, reassuring,
and – when possible - courteous manner; warning second time offenders they may
be banned from diving activities; either banning third time offenders from
activities or restricting access to only coastal areas that will not be affected
by their behavior.
4.1.6 Marine
recreation providers shall not sell fish food; promote or participate in fish
feeding; or allow clients to fish feed, including discarding food products
overboard or, through negligence, allowing items to blow overboard - other than
those previously eaten.
4.1.7 Clients
shall be provided the opportunity on a voluntary basis to submit confidential evaluations
of staff performance and satisfaction with the overall dive experience through
an exit survey. An example of an exit survey is provided in Annex C.
4.1.8 Marine
recreation providers shall voluntarily rotate dive sites to avoid their
degradation and allow their recovery, and cooperate with other suppliers;
managers of marine protected areas and other responsible agencies to
a) foster sustainability by collaborating with researchers and managers
of marine protected areas to establish limitations on the number of boats and
divers that visit popular sites at a given time and in monitoring reefs to
evaluate their condition;
b) promote installation of permanent buoyed moorings at dive sites;
c) communicate with other vessel operators to locate and share moorings.
4.1.9 When SCUBA diving and snorkeling from shore, entry and exit routes shall be used that avoid walking on corals.
4.1.10 Bad
practices and violations by marine recreation providers or their clients, observed
by other marine recreational providers shall be reported to the manager or
owner of the offending marine recreational provider’s company. If action is not taken by the marine
recreational provider to correct the activity individuals shall be reported to
local authorities and managers of marine protected areas in cases where
activities were illegal.
4.1.11 All
recreational SCUBA diving and snorkeling operations involving shoreline access
shall fully comply with West Hawaii Voluntary Standard for shoreline activities
(WHVS3)
4.1.12 All
recreational SCUBA diving and snorkeling operations involving wildlife interactions
or viewing shall fully comply with West Hawaii Voluntary Standard for wildlife
interactions (WHVS1)
4.1.13 All
recreational SCUBA diving and snorkeling operations involving boats shall fully
comply with West Hawaii Voluntary Standard for general boating (WHVS2)
Training and Briefing Requirements:
4.2.1 All staff
with responsibilities on board boats or in the water shall be trained in the
recreational marine provider’s procedures for diving and snorkeling and safety
practices including boat handling, navigation and communications. These staff
shall maintain current certifications in first aid and cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR). Staff responsible for divers shall also possess current
emergency oxygen training certificates.
4.2.2 Marine recreation
providers and their assistants shall be educated in coral reef ecology and
conservation, including information on threatened, endangered and rare species
that are unique to the local environment. Staff shall stay current with latest
environmental trends and information, through formal or continuing education or
review courses, self study and seminars such as those supported through the
CORAL reef Reef Leadership Network, SeaGrant West Hawaii, The
Kohala Center or other local entities free of
charge.
4.2.3 Marine
recreation providers shall demonstrate leadership and role modeling both above
and underwater by enforcing all provisions of the preferred practices for
environmental behavior specified in Annex A. Verbal pre-dive briefings shall
review these preferred practices and alert divers to the impact of poor diving
practices on coral reefs, related coastal ecosystems and wildlife. Briefings
may be facilitated by use of a whiteboard, video, handouts, or other
educational materials (see 4.2.6) but these aids are not substitutes for verbal
briefings.
4.2.4 In addition
to a verbal briefing covering material in Annex A, prior to the first dive or
snorkeling excursion divemasters and snorkel guides shall ensure all clients
are presented or briefed on the material in Annex A in one additional method of
the five listed below which shall be provided to operators through the CORAL
leadership network Leadership Network and other supportive local conservation
groups.
(a) Reef
environmental practices video
(b) Regulator tag
(c) Bag Tag
(d) Environmental
pledge (Annex B, HIRSA’s or DAR’s)
(e) Environmental
pledge bookmarks
4.2.5 Marine
recreational providers that rent SCUBA or snorkel gear for independent shore
excursions shall ensure all clients are verbally briefed on the environmental
information presented in Annex A. In
addition to the verbal briefing all clients shall be presented in one
additional method of the five listed below with the information from Annex A.
(a) Reef
Environmental Practices video
(b) Regulator tag
(c) Bag tag
(d) Environmental
pledge (Annex B, HIRSA’s or DAR’s)
(e) Environmental
pledge bookmarks
Annex A
Annex A
Environmental briefing outline and checklist for SCUBA and Snorkeling Guides
1.) Describe the
rules, local regulations or laws that apply to the area; provide examples of
bad practices and violations; and provide contact information of local
authorities;
2.) Provide a
description of environmental, biological, and physical features of the dive
site;
3.) Advise on proper
navigation and diving techniques specific to the characteristics of the marine
environment in which the diving activity is to be carried out, such as sandy
bottoms, reef walls, and fragile local wildlife;
4.) Review with clients
the preferred practices for good environmental behavior specified in this
standard and this Annex;
5.) Encourage
divers to provide feedback on compliance with the code of good environmental
behavior by the marine recreation provider and its staff through use of an exit
survey at the end of the excursion;
6.) Include
fundamentals of buoyancy control in each pre-dive briefing; check if divers are
over-weighted; observe divers both above and underwater in order to identify
buoyancy control problems, and help adjust their diving weights if necessary.
If buoyancy problems persist, divers shall remain over sand or rubble areas;
7.) Ensure that all
divers understand that the health of coral reefs and related coastal
environments shall not be compromised by any activity, including photography,
and provide specific advice on proper diving techniques when in environmentally
sensitive areas;
8.) Take
appropriate action in the event divers cannot or do not comply with the rules,
regulations or laws that apply in the area and the good environmental behavior
specified in this standard and this Annex.
ANNEX B
Environmental pledge for SCUBA divers and Snorkelers
The precious
coral reefs of
Following these
rules of responsible marine recreation will help you to better understand and
appreciate coral reefs while you help to preserve this unique ecosystem for
future generations. If you want to learn more about coral reef ecosystems and
the thousands of creatures that depend on them, ask your guide or instructor to
recommend websites and literature or check out: www.givethereefabreak.org.
“I have received a briefing about the SCUBA diving and/or snorkeling
activities in which I am about to engage, and this pledge indicates my awareness
of the potential impact of my activities upon the reef environment and
associated marine wildlife.
I,
_____________________, pledge to minimize my impact to the sensitive coral
ecosystem by following these rules of responsible marine recreation below.
I Promise to:
1. Never touch,
stand-on, or kick coral reef or live coral.
2. Carefully
select points of entry and exit to avoid damaging areas of the reef.
3. Secure all
dangling equipment/accessories.
4. Maintain
neutral buoyancy at all times (divers).
5. Maintain a
comfortable distance from the bottom that does not kick-up sediments or allow
you to come into contact with the reef while SCUBA diving or free diving.
6. Never throw
food or rubbish into the water or feed fish.
7. Never chase,
move or manipulate marine life or habitat.
8. Move slowly
and deliberately in the water.
9. If you are new
to Hawai?i waters go with
a guide the first time, or at minimum seek local knowledge to orient yourself
to local waterways, ocean conditions, marine life and local guidelines and
regulations.
Signature:_______________
Date:____________
Annex C: Exit
Survey
A model Exit
Survey should be developed by the West Hawai?i Taskforce; it will exemplify the type of information to be collected,
but is not a mandatory part of WHST4. The purpose of the survey is to present a
useful tool to marine recreation providers, to help them evaluate their own
practices and receive valuable feedback from their clients. In addition, during
the assessment and evaluation phase of this project, CORAL will assist the
EXIT SURVEY: How
important is it to you that your tour company engages in good environmental
practices?
Very Important /
Important / Of Little importance / Not Very Important / Not at All Important
Based on your
experience today, how important are good environmental practices to the company
you went out with?
Very Important /
Important / Of Little importance / Not Very Important / Not at All Important
What things did
your company’s staff say or do that make you think this? Did your company
present any information regarding good environmental practices?
Yes Maybe No I
don’t remember
If yes, what
sorts of things did they talk about or show you?
How would you
characterize the information provided by the operator?
Check all that
apply
O New
information, I learned something
O Good
information, but I already knew it
O Common sense
information, but good to hear out loud
O Okay
information, everybody knows this stuff
O Incorrect
information
O I believed the
information was made up
O Useless
information
Will anything you
saw or heard today change how you behave within the marine environment in the
future?
Yes Maybe No I
don’t know Please explain.
When engaging in
marine recreation:
O It is okay to
touch coral reef animals, but only with your hands
O It is okay to
touch coral reef animals, but only for educational purposes
O It is not okay
to touch coral reef animals Before and during your excursion, did the company:
Check all that apply:
O Show an
educational video
O Give you an
environmental tag attachment (rental bag or dive gear)
O Have you sign
an environmental pledge
O Give you an
environmental bookmark
The oral
environmental briefing your company gave included the following information:
Check all that apply:
O There was no
oral environmental briefing
O Never touch,
stand on, kick coral reefs
O Never feed,
chase, move or manipulate wildlife
O Secure all
dangling equipment and accessories
O Maintain
neutral buoyancy at all times
O Never throw
rubbish into the water
O Move slowly and
deliberately in the water
O The need to
protect coral reefs through our actions
O Any information
specifically on marine mammals