STOP the Destruction of Nuweiba!

Dear All!

We kindly ask to join us in combating a serious situation that is arising in Nuweiba!

Strong Objection to the Nuweiba Power Plant Project in South Sinai planned by the Egyptian Electricity Holding Company and to be financed by the European Investment Bank and the African Development Bank. If such a plant proceeds, it will have a disastrous effect on the local tourism industry, on the local Bedouin population and, above all, on the local environment.

Nuweiba is one of the most picturesque parts of the whole southern Sinai Peninsula, has an excellent and unique tourism potential, is home to two major Sinai Bedouin tribes, and has an almost unique, relatively undisturbed underwater marine life. Apart from the obvious enormous detrimental effects such a project will have on the local environment and population during the construction period, once operational, the plant will have a negative impact on the quality of air, will reduce the level of sunlight, increase noise pollution and, above all, will damage seriously and irreparably the marine life and coral reefs that lie all along the east coast of Nuweiba adjacent to where the plant is planned to be built.

We kindly ask for to join us in combating a serious situation that is arising in Nuweiba!

SIGN PETITION!

Thank you very much for your support.

From: newsletter@tdi-middleeast.com

Sent: 23 June 2009 14:43

St. George Three Corners Resort two times awarded

Two leading British touroperators, Thomas Cook and Thomson Holidays, granted the St. George Three Corners Resort in Sharm El Sheikh a highly appreciate award.

The Marque of Excellence Award 2008 was granted by Thomas Cook. This distinction is annually accorded in recognition of the hotel's high service standards and quality of its accommodations.

The quality is judged through the rating parameters like accommodation, reception service, cleanliness, furnishing and decor standard, bar service, quality and choice of food, swimming pools, entertainment among others.

What's important about this award is that clients are the ones who assess the hotels by responding to Thomas Cook's satisfaction polls, which measure the service, facilities and quality of the accommodations. Also Thomson Holidays awarded St. George Three Corners Resort his Gold Medal 2008. This award is also decided by the opinions of Thompson's customers and judging on the feedbacks received from UK based, mostly chartered clients.

"By expressing the view of such a demanding sector of the market represented by Thomas Cook and Thomson, these awards dignify the efforts of its staff who place the excellence of their service above all else", affirmed Mr. Wagih Sarofeen, General Manager of St. George Three Corners Resort.

St. George Three Corners Resort, with 259 rooms, an All Inclusive 4-star hotel, is ideally located close to the beach and the centre of Sharm El Sheikh, off ering the best of both worlds. The private beach is situated in the picturesque bay of Sharm el Maya , the original old town of Sharm.

Open Letter from HEPCA To all Dive Guides in the Egyptian Red Sea

Most of you are aware of the death of the snorkeler at St. Johns by an Oceanic WhiteTip Shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) earlier this month. The death was especially tragic because it could have been avoided if guests had been stopped from snorkelling. Allowing guests to snorkel at St. Johns and other Far Islands, especially when C. longimanus is presence, is highly unprofessional. Not only does it place guests at risk of injury, but such unprofessional action gives the whole Egyptian Red Sea dive industry a bad reputation. Since the death of the snorkeler, dive guides have reported to HEPCA that some C. longimanus at the Far Islands are displaying overly inquisitive or even aggressive behaviour towards them while diving. This included sharks near the surface moving rapidly towards divers at 30 m. Others have reported being bumped, tanks nudged and sharks swimming extremely close to them and their guests. There may be a number of reasons why these animals are behaving this way. It could be due to the illegal actions of some divers who have been feeding them in these areas or boat crews baiting them. Alternatively, or in combination with, it may be due to natural seasonal causes relating to reproduction or the presence of natural prey. Whatever the reason(s), we urge guides to be especially vigilant when diving in areas where C. longimanus is commonly encountered. In light of this recent information, we have expanded our earlier list of recommendations when taking guests to areas where this species is commonly encountered. The earlier and new recommendations are:

• No swimming and snorkelling in waters where this and other large species of sharks are known to frequent
• No deliberate feeding of this species or the dumping of waste from boats which may attract this and other potentially dangerous sharks (both activities are illegal in Egyptian waters)
• No SCUBA diving without an experienced dive guide in waters where this species is known to frequent
• In areas such as the Far Islands, where this species is frequently observed, it is advisable that divers enter (and are retrieved from) the water as close as possible to the reef.
• In areas such as the Far Islands it is illegal to be involved in any night diving activities.
• Dive in groups and keep close together.
• Two dive guides should accompany each group.
• Divers should leave the water immediately if sharks display signs of aggression such as nudging or circling divers, or moving rapidly towards them.
• Report to HEPCA any incidents of aggressive behaviour by these animals towards divers, and
• Report to HEPCA the names of vessels whose divers or crew are observed feeding or baiting sharks.
  

Until recently, the Egypt Red Sea diving industry had an impressive track record of safely introducing divers to one of the largest and wide-ranging predators on the planet. With your help we would like to rebuild that record. For more information of this species in the Egyptian Red Sea go to: http://www.longimanus.info/species-info.htm (Unless specifically mentioned, all photographs taken by Elke Bojanowski ©)
HEPCA

The Hurghada Declaration - ban on fishing

It is HEPCA’s great privilege to welcome an outstanding conservation outcome for the Egyptian Red Sea that will have long-lasting benefits for our Diving Industry and for all people who love the Red Sea. This outcome is the “Hurghada Declaration – Towards the Sustainable use of Natural Resources of the Red Sea”. Signed on 2 June 2009, the Hurghada Declaration provides a legal and strategic framework to implement important conservation recommendations developed last year at a conference held at Sharm El Sheik. These recommendations are aimed at reducing pressure on Red Sea marine resources while dealing fairly with communities reliant on these resources for their income. It does this by closing the Egyptian Red Sea to further entry by fishermen, buying back fishing licences, retraining fishermen to gain alternative forms of work, and the assisted repatriation of fishermen not legally permitted to fish in the Red Sea. In addition, the Hurghada Declaration prescribes to the precautionary principle by completely banning net fishing from the whole Egyptian Red Sea, banning trawling south of the Gulf of Suez and establishing marine reserves (no-take zones) at important marine areas. Marine reserves are locations where all forms of fishing are prohibit and will simultaneously benefit the dive tourism industry and marine biodiversity protection. The Declaration also benefits amateur or sports fishermen by proposing areas where they may exclusively fish.



The Hurghada Declaration could only have come about by individuals with great foresight and a desire to do the right thing for future generations. HEPCA wishes to applaud the following for their courage and wisdom to sign the Hurghada Declaration: H.E General Magdy Qubeisy the Red Sea Governor; H.E General Mohamed Galal the Suez Governor; H.E General Mohamed Metwaly the South Sinai Governor; H.E Amin Abaza the Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation; H.E Zohair Garrana the Minister of Tourism; and H.E Eng. Maged George the Minister for Environmental Affairs. In addition to those mentioned above, HEPCA wish to thank the following individuals and organisations for their support at making the Declaration a reality: Chamber of Diving and Water Sports, SSDM, The National Parks of Egypt and last but least Dr. Mahmoud Hanafy the science advisor for Hepca and the Red sea Governor.

Importantly, signing of the Declaration is only the first step in this long-term process. Next is the challenge to ensure compliance of the new laws and consistent enforcement when these laws are broken. This is where we need your assistance. We need you to act as the eyes for HEPCA and the authorities responsible for enforcement. The Egyptian Red Sea is too large for any one organisation to patrol and police. You can help by reporting illegal actions such as net fishing, trawling south of the Gulf of Suez or any forms of fishing in the newly created marine reserves. If you have queries concerning the Hurghada Declaration, the new laws, and how they might apply to you and your business please contact HEPCA.

Recent Shark Fatality at the Saint John’s June 2009

Relating to the Recent Shark Fatality at the Saint John’s June 2009

HEPCA, and all its members from the Egyptian Red Sea would like to extend their deepest condolences to the family and friends of the French snorkeler killed by an Oceanic-White-Tip Shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) at the Saint John’s reefs this week. Contrary to rumour this was the only incident of recent shark fatality or injury to tourists in the Egyptian Red Sea. Further, HEPCA has not attributed blame of the fatality to the behaviour of the snorkeler who was killed. However HEPCA advises strongly that snorkelling in waters where this species is frequently encountered, such as the Far Islands and Saint Johns, is highly unadvisable.

Oceanic-White-Tip Sharks are large (maximum size 390 cm) predators rarely encountered because their main habitat is deep water well away from land. However, at certain times of the year this species aggregate at isolated islands, rocks and pinnacles in deep water in the Egyptian Red Sea. It is still unclear why they do this. Some scientists have suggested that they move seasonally close to islands for reproduction or feeding. Alternatively, because of their inquisitive nature, they might simply be attracted to boats and divers. Interactions between this species and SCUBA divers at some offshore dive sites in Egyptian waters are common at certain times of the year. Indeed, large numbers of divers travel to Egypt each year for the privilege of viewing this large species of shark. Although potentially dangerous, like most large wild animals, many thousands of divers have been safely introduced to this species without incident of injury. However certain activities can increase the risk of negative interactions with this and other species of shark. Foremost is the activity of divers feeding sharks with scrapes of food in order to attract them closer. Although shark feeding is legal in some well known dive destinations, such as the Caribbean, it is strictly forbidden under law in Egypt because of the very reason tragically witnessed this week.

The recent shark fatality is a great tragedy for all concerned and HEPCA wants to reassure visitors that every measure will be taken to reduce the risk of a similar incident occurring again. HEPCA, in conjunction with local industry,CDWS and government officials, are now formulating a strategy to help limit the risk of such an incident occurring again. In particular dive companies involved in the illegal activity of shark feeding will have their licences revoked. Although the risk of shark fatalities cannot be entirely stopped, the following activities will greatly minimise it:

- No swimming and snorkelling in waters where this and other large species of sharks are known to frequent
- No deliberate feeding of this species or the dumping of waste from boats which may attract this and other potentially dangerous sharks (both activities are illegal in Egyptian waters)
- No SCUBA diving without an experienced dive guide in waters where this species is known to frequent
- In areas such as the Far Islands, where this species is frequently observed, it is advisable that divers enter (and are retrieved from) the water as close as possible to the reef.
- In areas such as the Far Islands, where this species is frequently observed, it is illegal to be involved in any night diving activities.


HEPCA: 9 June 2009