Dear Editor,
I am writing in response to one of last week's letters. Let me clarify just a few points.
First off, I was an avid power kiter for almost 20 years, doing the same as the kite surfers but on land until I destroyed my shoulder and had to give it up. I still love the sport. I am not anti-kite surfer.
I'm the one who was almost hit by a kite surfer while coming up from a dive. Since I was ascending I am usually able to detect what was above me when I reached the surface. I would have heard a boat.
While it may be easier for a kite surfer to see divers, the point still remains that a diver can't hear or see a kite surfer.
Since Bonaire is the island of shore diving it may be a valid point that shore divers should display a flag, maybe on the mooring, but it has not been the practice nor is it likely to become commonplace.
Last but not least, my feeling is that the kite surfers were moved from Lac Bay with no plan. I believe that all the sports should be able to co-exist and that we should be able to remedy the situation without rancor.

Susan Porter

Dear Editor,
I personally have nothing to do with kite surfing. I have no direct commercial or other interest in the sport, although I like to look at it. But I cannot believe this sport has been given such a hard time.  In the past decade, almost a full third of the island population left the island in search of economic opportunity elsewhere. We tried to increase tourism; millions have been spent to promote our island; our taxes were increased, some of them doubled; the airport was modernized; in short, an enormous public investment was made.
And finally a new sport and its participants found the island.  One of the fastest growing sports in the world is now found on Bonaire, and more in particular, in Lac Bay, an ideal location. If this was an environmentally high impact sport and so dangerous, I could understand the discussion, but that is not the case. There are no diesel engines necessary to transport them; the sport makes no noise; the biggest waves are the splashes created when they fall in the water; and considering their lines, they certainly will not go into the mangroves. They have no keels raking the sea grass beds.  They don't wreck themselves on the reef. I have not heard of major accidents, let alone fatal ones, happening on this island. To boot, this is not a group of tourists that was fed by already existing tourism, such as kayaking. It is new with enormous potential.
None of the tourism that we embrace right now can boast such a record, and what do we do with them?? We ban them!! We ban them to a place with no facilities. We ban them to where it is dangerous for them. The Venezuelan current is awfully close should they get into trouble and with CITRO (Citizen's Rescue Service) absent, we cannot even search for them properly should they float away. We ban them to where they pose a danger to divers. Unlike windsurfers and kite surfers, divers and kiters cannot see or hear each other. Totally ridiculous!! How arrogant!
So the word should be to regulate, not to ban: to discuss the situation and regulate it. Lac Bay is a very sensitive natural environment, and it needs care, but who is to judge who is better than the other: the kayak folk over the surfers? The fishermen over the divers?  The divers over the kiters?  We all want to use the bay, so sit down and talk. If the will is there, the possibilities are endless for all interest groups. With proper management the environment may even benefit rather than suffer. And then maybe, we'll get enough tourism, maybe some of the former island population returns, because there are more economic opportunities. Maybe we'll get a return on the public investment, and maybe, just maybe, we might get lower taxes. Just my two cents….

Bart Snelder

The Reporter will hold off printing more reactions to the kite surfing controversy for a while. It is to everyone's benefit for kiters and windsurfers to co-exist in Lac. Certainly a compromise can be worked out, especially for beginners. Imagine if newbie windsurfers had to learn in the area south of Pink Beach, as the kiters are encouraged to do. 