Kona CORAL
(COral Reef ALiance)
(COral Reef ALiance)
Your Subtitle text
Creating Voluntary Standards to Preserve Kailua Kona's Marine Ecosystem
Please Note:
This website and the forms will be opened up to the General Task Force via Email later this week!
Where our groups stand
Kayaking Group
Karen - is your group complete? Please send me a draft ASAP
Wild Life Interactions
Draft done for:
Turtles
Manta Rays
Sharks
Small Critters
Remaining:
Dolphins and other marine mammals - these are also almost complete!
General Boating
Draft is in and awaiting review of members
Scuba/Snuba/Snorkel
Draft is in and awaiting review of members
Surf Schools
Draft is in and awaiting review of members
Fishing Consumptive
No longer a working group for CORAL - please contact Kara if you have questions.
Shoreline Activities
First draft is back! Kosta will be sending out soon with revisions for review
Kara's Notes:
It was great to see so many of you at the task force conference meetings this past week. I will be getting up shortly information on micro grant projects on the web page so stay tuned!
Thanks so much for everyone's help and lets show this state what great management and team work can do in creating wonderful standards for our waters!
NEWS!
We have forums! I have set up forms (or am in the process of) for each of the subcommittees!
Please use these forums to actively discuss topics relating to your subcommittee.
I have also started working with Google Documents and will put drafts up from subcommittees so they can work on creating them through online means!
The forums can be found through the above link (CORAL Forums)
Or through the link below!
CORAL Forums
Voluntary Standards Hit The Front Page!
The effort is being facilitated by Coral Reef Alliance, a nonprofit organization that works with communities to identify and solve conservation challenges; change attitudes and behavior through education and training; provide resource to strengthen marine protected areas and create sustainable tourism incentives.
Involvement of various stake holders is needed for developing these standards, which have been deemed "needed" by some in the industry for years. Participants will serve as task force members and will use their expertise to identify and codify good environmental practices to be adopted by marine tourism providers and the public, said Kara Osada, Coral Reef Alliance Kona field coordinator.
Coral
Reef Alliance wants diverse and balanced participation. It seeks marine
recreation providers, nongovernmental agencies, resource managers,
cultural groups, activity wholesalers and community members.
"The goal is to help preserve our reef's health in bringing operators from fishermen to whale watchers, snorkeling trips to aquarium collectors together to promote the health of Kailua-Kona's reefs," Osada said. "We hope that, by bringing these groups together to create voluntary standards, we will build a sense of pride and respect for our coral reef ecosystem so that operations are self regulating and supporting eco-friendly tourism."
Standards will be developed for: boating, wildlife interactions, scuba diving and snuba, snorkeling and spearfishing, and beachfront operations, such as gear rental providers, surf schools, canoe clubs and tours. The 10-member steering committee will guide the process, as well as review, modify and approve the voluntary practices.
Following development, the guidelines will be field tested to determine if they are practical, feasible, affordable and attainable. Unlike regulations and laws, standards can be easily modified and adapted, said Liz Foote, Coral Reef Alliance Hawaii field manager.
According to Coral Reef Alliance, in areas with high volume tourism, repeated direct contact with the reef poses an immediate threat. Boat groundings and human interactions each year reduce sections of the reef and reduce its resilience to other stressors like diseases and rising sea temperatures.
The organization
helped produce the publication, "Voluntary Standards for Marine
Recreation in the Mesoamerican Reef System," which has reportedly made
people more environmentally and safety conscious. For more than a year,
Maui residents have been crafting standards. The process has increased
awareness to sustainability issues and brought issues, such as fish
feeding, to the forefront. This task force has chosen to have a Diver's
Pledge, which makes promises like never to touch, handle, interfere
with, stimulate or relocate marine life, Foote said.
While nonmandatory environmental briefings and guidelines exist, they vary among businesses and individuals. By formalizing standards and putting the decision-making into the hands of those directly affected, stewardship, ownership, acceptance and action should follow, Osada said.
"This is an opportunity for people to define the future of their industry, as well as ensure the health and sustainability of our reefs," Foote said.
Get Involved
Contact Kara Osada, Coral Reef Alliance Kona field representative, at 896-1889 or kara@konaCPR.com.
This website and the forms will be opened up to the General Task Force via Email later this week!
Where our groups stand
Kayaking Group
Karen - is your group complete? Please send me a draft ASAP
Wild Life Interactions
Draft done for:
Turtles
Manta Rays
Sharks
Small Critters
Remaining:
Dolphins and other marine mammals - these are also almost complete!
General Boating
Draft is in and awaiting review of members
Scuba/Snuba/Snorkel
Draft is in and awaiting review of members
Surf Schools
Draft is in and awaiting review of members
Fishing Consumptive
No longer a working group for CORAL - please contact Kara if you have questions.
Shoreline Activities
First draft is back! Kosta will be sending out soon with revisions for review
Kara's Notes:
It was great to see so many of you at the task force conference meetings this past week. I will be getting up shortly information on micro grant projects on the web page so stay tuned!
Thanks so much for everyone's help and lets show this state what great management and team work can do in creating wonderful standards for our waters!
NEWS!
We have forums! I have set up forms (or am in the process of) for each of the subcommittees!
Please use these forums to actively discuss topics relating to your subcommittee.
I have also started working with Google Documents and will put drafts up from subcommittees so they can work on creating them through online means!
The forums can be found through the above link (CORAL Forums)
Or through the link below!
CORAL Forums
Voluntary Standards Hit The Front Page!
Voluntary rules sought for reef protection
Residents
are beginning to create voluntary standards for recreational and
commercial ocean activities to prevent overuse and misuse of coral
reefs.The effort is being facilitated by Coral Reef Alliance, a nonprofit organization that works with communities to identify and solve conservation challenges; change attitudes and behavior through education and training; provide resource to strengthen marine protected areas and create sustainable tourism incentives.
Involvement of various stake holders is needed for developing these standards, which have been deemed "needed" by some in the industry for years. Participants will serve as task force members and will use their expertise to identify and codify good environmental practices to be adopted by marine tourism providers and the public, said Kara Osada, Coral Reef Alliance Kona field coordinator.
"The goal is to help preserve our reef's health in bringing operators from fishermen to whale watchers, snorkeling trips to aquarium collectors together to promote the health of Kailua-Kona's reefs," Osada said. "We hope that, by bringing these groups together to create voluntary standards, we will build a sense of pride and respect for our coral reef ecosystem so that operations are self regulating and supporting eco-friendly tourism."
Standards will be developed for: boating, wildlife interactions, scuba diving and snuba, snorkeling and spearfishing, and beachfront operations, such as gear rental providers, surf schools, canoe clubs and tours. The 10-member steering committee will guide the process, as well as review, modify and approve the voluntary practices.
Following development, the guidelines will be field tested to determine if they are practical, feasible, affordable and attainable. Unlike regulations and laws, standards can be easily modified and adapted, said Liz Foote, Coral Reef Alliance Hawaii field manager.
According to Coral Reef Alliance, in areas with high volume tourism, repeated direct contact with the reef poses an immediate threat. Boat groundings and human interactions each year reduce sections of the reef and reduce its resilience to other stressors like diseases and rising sea temperatures.
 |
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Click Photo to Enlarge
A dive guide demonstrates underwater interpretation as she shows divers
a Leaf scorpionfish -and demonstrates how it moves. - Liz Foote | Coral
Reef Alliance
|
While nonmandatory environmental briefings and guidelines exist, they vary among businesses and individuals. By formalizing standards and putting the decision-making into the hands of those directly affected, stewardship, ownership, acceptance and action should follow, Osada said.
"This is an opportunity for people to define the future of their industry, as well as ensure the health and sustainability of our reefs," Foote said.
Get Involved
Contact Kara Osada, Coral Reef Alliance Kona field representative, at 896-1889 or kara@konaCPR.com.
