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Comments welcome-email reporter@bonairenews.com
1/27/12
A Special Message from Bonaire Marine Park Manager Ramón
de León about changes in Bonaire's Environmental Protection Law
The
actual proposal of the Government of Bonaire in allowing the
construction of piers for other than the specified in the recently
approved zoning plan reminds me of an old Arabian proverb: "If
the camel once gets his nose in the tent, his body will soon
follow."
The
seriousness of this issue is something that you have to take into
account if you want to imagine what the rest of your life will look
like, either if you live here or visit Bonaire. If accepted, the
Government proposal will be devastating for nature conservation and for
the future of the Island.
This
law proposal will take the entire ‘conservation’ effort out of the
current law. More than 50 years of advanced environment legislation is
about to go down the drain.
Developers
will be allowed to build things in the Marine Park for recreation
/tourism/bar and restaurant purposes. Recreation is a wide word and we
don’t know exactly what else can come. On the new piers, developers
will be allowed to build structures of maximum 5 meters high and maximum
size 50 m2; this is almost a standard two stories building
seating in a pier.
The
maximum length of a pier can be 40 meters, all the way to the drop off
in most of the island. The Government can allow constructions to a size
250 m2 with a height of max 5 meter; this is the equivalent
of 3 to 4 small two story apartments!!!......in the water!!!!.....on top
of a pier!!!
They
(the Government) can allow piers larger than this (without describing
for what purpose or in which instances), so you can expect request to
build larger piers with just God knows which structure on top or what
for.
Finally,
the Government can deny a request for permit if they are of the OPINION
that what will be built is damaging to the coral reef. So, no
independent expert Environmental Impact Assessment will be required.
Just the “OPINION” (expert!?!?) of the Government is enough to
decide if a proposal is damaging or not and therefore allow it or
not……Good-bye science.
This
is serious business if passed. It is not the five piers that they have
proposed now. The problem is the 25 or more that they have denied in the
past years, with good criteria and following the guidelines and laws
that they themselves approved. Those are the ones that I’m afraid of.
ALL of them will come back and ask for a permit and more will
follow…….and then, the rest of the camel will be in the tent and it
will be too late. We will walk our beautiful boulevard looking at the
backside of restaurant kitchens, sundecks, 250 m2 two story
buildings and more. Good-bye horizon.
You
can help to stop this proposal and keep Bonaire in the forefront of
coral reef conservation where it always was. We have until February
2, 2012 to
give our comments and object the proposal. You can log in at http://www.bonaireweb.com/zoning/
and read more and download an objection letter. Be sure to clearly state
what your interest is in this subject. Feel free to add or modify the
letter as you wish. Print it, sign it and bring it to DROB office in
Kaya Amsterdam. If you cannot personally bring it, sign it and send it
to me (marinepark@stinapa.org ), I will print it and bring it for you. Be sure
to bring two copies and make them sign one as prove of receipt. Let the
Government hear your opinion and make your opinion count. BEWARE OF THE
CAMEL NOSE……Bonaire, its people and its reefs deserve better.
STINAPA
Bonaire
Bonaire National Marine Park Manager
1/16/2012
-The January 20 - February 3, 2012 edition of The Bonaire Reporter is
on line. Learn about the biggest TV studio in the ABC
islands, immigration rules, new music school, sailing around the world,
Karnaval schedule, the fishing tournament. Picture Yourself winners and
more.
1/12/1/2-
Bonaire's
greatly admired artist Winfred Dania passed away yesterday afternoon
following a long struggle with cancer.
Winfred was perhaps Bonaire's most famous modern artist. His Save Klein
Bonaire poster design was key in getting the island protected. He was
prolific and while his work covered broad subjects, he was best known
for his depictions of mythological Bonaire. Our condolences to his
family,
12/15/2011
-The January 6-20, 2012 edition of The Bonaire Reporter is
on line. There's information bout an unfair tax, new pet
shop, and the possible demise of Maskarada and much, much
more. Have a great new year.
12/15/2011
-The December 23-January 6, 2012 edition of The Bonaire Reporter is
on line. The stories include Sunset Beach update, information about
extended doctors hours, fat parrots, handicapped divers, a new art show,
day spa, and more. Happy holidays everyone
12/6/2011--Yesterday,
Monday, December 5, 2011, the Tax Department closed the Cultimara supermarket
in preparation for a public sale of all its goods
for back taxes. Cultimara/ Cash & Carry had apparently
had a large tax liability.
The auction will take place on Tuesday, 13 December.
For many years Cultimara was the biggest supermarket on Bonaire.
There is also a conflict between staff and Cultimara
management. The staff was advised to seek legal
assistance.
12/5/2011
-The December 9-23 edition of The Bonaire Reporter is
on line. The pre-Christmas edition tells the story of Sanikloas'
visit, Bonaire Ambassadors, building on Bonaire, the new
Children's Home, a purse snatching, endangered parrot reintroduction to
nature, the Health Fair, Bonaire artists, a supermarket update and
much more...
11/26/2011 -
Bonaire's new supermarket
The
van den Tweel supermarket opened this past weekend. Bonaire hasn’t
shown such enthusiasm for a new thing since the Flamingo Fast Ferry, Chogogo,
began service to Curacao almost exactly 10 years ago.
The
market is first class by any standard. Is
it a harbinger of the changes still to come as a result of the BES’
islands integration with The Netherlands?
11/22/2011
-November 25- December 9 edition of The Bonaire Reporter is
on line. It has articles on the Study and Job Market, Home for
pregnant teens, Classical concert, A restaurant poll, Bonaire's past,
The Fiji case and much more
Lunch
restaurant survey is enabled. Click below http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/M7BT6HK
11/12/11
- A huge new supermarket is set to open in Bonaire at the end of this
month but
it won’t be carrying the famous Dutch brand name Albert Heijn, as
expected. It will carry the name of the owner, Gerard van der Tweel. The
supermarket entrepreneur is also the owner of an Albert Heijn
supermarket on
Curacao
and in the
11/7/2011
-November 11-25 edition of The Bonaire Reporter is
on line. It has articles on the visit of Queen Beatrix to Bonaire, a
new spot for fun on Sundays, Captain Don's new book, a parrot update,
new recycling options on the island and
much more.
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