AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye trip to Blue Hole, for snorkeling? not a diver

At the time the new fees came out, my opinion was that there should be one fee paid upon entry to the country and then tourists should be able to go anywhere they want without paying extra fees. It would take far less administration to manage the monies and that would actually be good for the government because there would be less administrative waste.

As for the trash out at HMC, how does one lobby to get that place kept cleaned up. Like you said, what could the rangers possibly be doing with their time other than place holding?

I like the system Bonaire uses - charge on flat fee for the privilege of diving - good for one year. Hard plastic tag is attached to your BCD - I consider mine a great souvenir! No room for corruption (oh - that may be the problem here???) as each badge has to be accounted for with $$$.
Or - as the US does with the Golden Eagle Pass - high price - good everyplace for one year.
The system here certainly is open for improvement - HEY - not that I (god forbid) want to change anybody (snicker).

Honduras has a one time reef fee divers pay for the year, even if its just one dive.
The system there is really abused because everyone tries to collect it officials or unofficials, no tags or receipts, I doubt if it going to government.
Our Hol Chan fee collection system is abused a little sometimes, but culprits are caught and changes made every so often. All and all, its working. The fees go to salary, gas , boats, they have developed a cute little museum display at the back street office and when there is a surplus they do nice things like give scholarships to locals who want to become divemasters and instructors.The Hol Chan Park is wonderful and a world class snorkeling area , especially if you get off the beaten path a little with the snorkel trip. A largely over looked spot for interesting snorkeling is the mangroves, all the fun isn't on the reef itself.

Are you saying, Elbert, that most of the fees collected by Hol Chan rangers go to maintaining the system? Seems pretty pointless to me, other than in creating jobs. Do you have any idea what happens to the enormous sums collected out on HMC, because there's no sign of any of it being ploughed back? Even the copious trash on the south beach doesn't seem to be collected.

The fees collected in Roatan are a one time fee that lasts for the year. It's about $5, IIRC and is set up to pay for the marine park patrol and such. I'm sure there's some abuse but for the most part, I found the people involved in the dive industry there to be all in favor of it as a means to attempt to protect the reef.