CHAMBER OF DIVING & WATERSPORTS - EGYPT
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
[b]CDWS highlights shark fishing ban[/b]
Egypt’s Chamber of Diving and Watersports (CDWS) has taken direct action to inform the hotel and restaurant industry of the decree which bans the fishing of sharks in the Red Sea, after a picture of a dead shark taken at a Sharm hotel was published on the Internet.
The CDWS immediately contacted the management of the Sea Club Resort in Sharm el Sheikh about the ban when a photograph on the Internet social network site Facebook was brought to its attention. The photograph [see right] shows staff at the Sea Club Resort hotel pouring water over the dead black tip reef shark on display in front of its guests.
Information was also sent out about the ban to the Egyptian Hotel Association and the Egyptian Chamber of Tourist Establishments by the CDWS to help prevent similar incidents in the future.
Shark populations throughout the world are under threat from over-fishing and the Egyptian Red Sea is one of the only places where a total ban has been introduced to help protect endangered species. The decree was issued in 2005 following appeals from local underwater groups and conservationists.
The decree no. 484 for 2005 issued by the head of the General Authority for Fish Resources Development in Egypt states the ban on fishing and trading of Sharks in the Red Sea. Violation of the ban will result in people being subject to prosecution according to Law 124 for 1983.
The CDWS is appealing to its members to inform the organisation of any other similar violations.
[center]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
[b]Naama reef clean-up [/b]
Car batteries and rudders were among the items gathered by volunteer divers in Sharm el Sheikh’s Naama Bay for the day clean-up of the reefs around Sonesta Beach. Organised by Anthias Divers - together with Scuba Schools International (SSI), South Sinai Diving Association (SSDM) and the Blue Eye FX Underwater Production - the March 2009 clean-up saw diving staff and guests bagging a staggering 132kg of rubbish at the front of the Sonesta Beach Resort.
Anthias Divers hosted an evening of entertainment for all the clean-up volunteers who were also presented with prizes and a ‘Rubbish Diver’ certification card. Prizes given to those divers who collected the most rubbish included free nitrox courses, t-shirts and diving videos.
Simona Adelhoch, the operation manager of Anthias Divers, said work by volunteers throughout the region to clean up reefs were very important in protecting marine life from the threat of discarded rubbish. All the rubbish Anthias Divers bagged was taken to a Sharm-based garbage collection company to be disposed of appropriately.
‘Clean-ups are ideal to organise in the low season,’ Adelhoch said. ‘It would be great to see all the dive centres in Naama working together to organise a clean-up day of all the local reefs. I would like to thank my team and everyone who took part to clean up our Red Sea we love so much and helped to made this event happen’
www.anthiasdivers.com
[center][center]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
[b]Camel's conservation efforts go global[/b]
To involve guests in the international Dive for Earth Day on 22 April, staff at Sharm el Sheikh's Camel Dive Club took a creative approach. The centre's dive team created a huge globe from papier mâché, constructed from wire and covered by old diving magazines. They then painted the globe with a representation of a turtle and corals, and hung it in the diving centre. In exchange for LE10 donation to Project AWARE (Aquatic World Awareness, Responsibility and Education), Camel guests were invited to decorate the globe with their answer to the question: 'Why is diving important to your world?'
The initiative not only raised awareness about marine conservation, but also produced a piece of 'interactive art', which will be sold to the highest bidder. The money raised will help support Project AWARE's marine preservation efforts worldwide.
The Camel team together with guests also took part in a beach clean up for Dive for Earth Day. Ras Katy is one of the few public beaches in Sharm el Sheikh, and is popular with both guests and locals. Camel's training manager Bianca Greiner, who organized the cleanup, said: 'The 46 bags we collected equate to around 300kg of rubbish that could otherwise have ended up in the sea. About 70 per cent of [the rubbish] was plastic bags and bottles, which take years to biodegrade, and release toxins in the process.'
www.cameldive.com . [center][center]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
[b]Shark Trust appeals for sightings reports[/b]
Charity marine organisation the Shark Trust is appealing for all divers to report shark and ray sightings to help global research programmes. The UK-based charity said its international sightings database allows divers to share their encounters while also providing important information on different species to shark researchers around the world.
‘Your sighting can have a very positive impact on our understanding of certain species and provide the best available data to support management considerations to help ensure a sustainable future for sharks, skates and rays,’ said the Shark Trust. ‘Any sighting or catch of any wild elasmobranch can be submitted to this database for use in not-for-profit decision-making, education, research, environmental and other public-benefit purposes.’
Dive guides and instructors are already reporting a number of big animal sightings this year, which include manta rays and whale sharks in the Northern Egyptian Red Sea. To share your sightings or find out more information see the Shark Trust Sightings page at
www.sharktrust.org/sd.
[center]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
[b]Dahab freediver smashes another world record[/b]
Dahab-based freediver Sara Campbell has set another freediving world record after reaching 96m in the constant weight discipline. The 37-year-old British yoga teacher broke the women’s record in three minutes and 34 seconds off Long Island in the Bahamas in March.
Despite suffering from a brief black-out on surfacing from 96m, Sara said the record was a ‘stepping stone’ and that she aimed to be the first to break 100m in constant weight freediving. Under the rules of constant weight freedivers must power themselves with no added weights and only a guide rope to follow to the target depth.
Campbell took the freediving world by storm after breaking three world records in 48 hours in 2007, just 12 months after taking up the sport. Since then she has continued to push herself in competitions throughout the world, however, missed out on the freediving world championships in 2008 following the death of her mother.
‘This was by far the toughest world record I've earned,’ Sara said. ’The emotional journey to 96m and back was just a formality, compared to the emotional journey of losing my mum last year, and struggling to dive in the most challenging conditions I've ever experienced here. I have completed only 17 training dives since I became World Champion in November 2007. I'm delighted to be back!’
www.sarafreediver.com
[center]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
[b]CDWS member news: send us your stories[/b]
Have you seen or been involved in an important diving or watersports event? Is something significant happening where your centre or operation is based which other CDWS members or the diving press would be interested to hear about?
Email your stories to charlotte.boan@cdws.travel or board.marketing@cdws.travel.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
[b]Hurghada Earth Day clean-up[/b]
To mark Earth Day in Hurghada staff and guests from Ilios Dive Club teamed up to clean up the bay and beach at the Steigenberger Al Dau Beach Hotel. The central bay is often littered with rubbish brought in by currents.
‘We always tell our guests on the dive boats that it is better to bring garbage to the surface and throw it in the dustbin than to simply be upset about it being underwater,’ explained Martina Aziz of Ilios Dive Club. ‘In 30 minutes our instructors Tarek, Sven and Rafel managed to collect three large bags of garbage. It is a small step, but a good way to help to protect the environment. Events such as Earth Day give us the chance to fight for a better awareness concerning our environment.’
www.iliosdiveclub.de
[center]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
[b]First Open Forum meeting held in Safaga[/b]
The first regional Open Forum meeting between the board and members of the Chamber of Diving and Watersports (CDWS) saw an impressively high turnout in the Red Sea resort of Safaga on 26 April. The two-hour forum session immediately followed the April CDWS board meeting at the Lotus Bay Hotel.
A total of 19 people from 14 diving centres from Safaga and the surrounding area met with the board to put forward their questions about the work of the CDWS and discuss the issues affecting them on a national and local level.
Chairman Hesham Gabr and the board received a good reception after speaking about the on-going work of the CDWS and its future aims. Together with the board, Mr Gabr explained about the process of implementing changes and how this involved working with a number of key parties including the Governorate of South Sinai, the Governorate of the Red Sea, the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Tourism.
CDWS members in attendance: ABC Dream Divers, Barakuda Diving Center, Barakuda Inn, Barakuda Lotus Bay, Blue Heaven Holidays, Ducks Diving, Emperor Divers, Freedom Divers, Mena Dive Mena Ville, Orca Dive Club, Safaga Paradise, Tiger Marine Water Sports, Toms Diver House, 3 Turtles and United Divers.
Two-hour Open Forum will be held in a different destination each month to enable the board to meet with members across Egypt. These will immediately follow the CDWS monthly board meeting. The second Open Forum meeting will be held on 31 May in El Gouna. All CDWS members from the El Gouna area are invited to attend. More details to follow.
[center][center]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Sharm el Sheikh, South Sinai Branch
Tel: +20 69 3666 448 / +20 69 3666 449
Fax: +2 (069) 366 63 24
Email: sinai.office@cdws.travel |
Hurghada, Red Sea Branch
Tel: +2 (065) 346 25 63 / +2 (065) 346 25 64
Fax: +2 (065) 346 25 62
Email: redsea.office@cdws.travel |
|
|
