Bonaire announces program highlights of International Year of the Reef 2008

- Tourism Corporation Bonaire Partners with CORAL, Earth Echo, STINAPA and NOAA to Execute Events and Activities -

Kralendijk, Bonaire - (January 25, 2008) - Government officials from Bonaire joined coral reef experts and managers from the United States, Mexico and France to officially inaugurate the International Year of the Reef 2008 during a news conference as part of the International Coral Reef Initiative Meeting in Washington D.C. on January 24, 2008.

Joining the conference live from Bonaire via telephone were Lieutenant Governor Herbert Domacasse, Director of Tourism Corporation Bonaire Ronella Tjin Asjoe-Croes, Director of STINAPA Elsmarie Beukenboom, and key stakeholders of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) who are currently in Bonaire conducting research.

In 1997, Bonaire became IYOR's first partner in the Caribbean to establish a comprehensive plan dedicated to executing a program of public education about coral reefs, assessing the conditions of coral reefs and collaborating with local communities and other reef managers to develop and implement plans for the use of irreplaceable reef resources. During that year Bonaire also hosted the International Year of the Reef's inaugural Dive Festival event.

As a focal point destination for the 2008 celebration of IYOR, Tourism Corporation Bonaire (TCB) has joined forces with the Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL), Earth Echo International, STINAPA and NOAA to execute a program that will continue the work that the Island began eleven years ago.

On January 7, NOAA began a mapping project, titled "Exploring Coral Reef Sustainability with New Technologies" that will create a baseline for which all other Caribbean reefs will be compared. Bonaire is noted for having the most pristine coral reef environment in the Caribbean with the highest percent of coral cover and the lowest percent of algal cover. NOAA's team of experts are conducting research using autonomous underwater vehicles and technical diving to explore greater depths than can be reached with conventional compressed air scuba diving. NOAA will complete their research on January 30, 2008. For more information, visit http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/08bonaire/welcome.html.

As part of the IYOR celebration, STINAPA recently announced the designation of two fish protected areas on Bonaire's reef to encourage the population growth of large fish species. The locations were selected by a delegation including government officials and local fisherman using criteria that included the sites containing significant coral coverage and being easy to patrol by the Marine Park. Later this year, STINAPA will begin giving free reef ecology courses for residents and interested visitors. For more information, visit www.stinapa.org.

On January 31, Tourism Corporation Bonaire and STINAPA will host an International Year of the Reef ceremony at Wilhelmina Park where Government officials will announce the Island's slogan for IYOR, "Bonaire, Leading By Example." Additionally, the first of twelve paintings created by school children with an IYOR theme will be unveiled. Each of the twelve paintings will be on display throughout the year at various locations for residents and visitors to enjoy.

The Bonaire Hotel and Tourism Association also celebrated IYOR during their 11th Annual Awards Ceremony on January 24, 2008. Guests were asked to dress in blue and green shades that represent the colors of the ocean.

Other IYOR activities taking place on Bonaire this summer during Bonaire Dive Into Summer 2008 include:

• International Year of the Reef Environmental Project: The Coral Reef Alliance, STINAPA, Earth Echo and TCB will work together to develop a summer-long overarching ecology project that will be launched during IYOR week, continued throughout the summer with monthly updates during each showcase week, and conclude during Love Our Planet Week with a press conference.
• International Year of the Reef Week: Taking place June 21-28, IYOR week will feature guest speakers Jan and Alexandra Cousteau from Earth Echo International who will give seminars and lead dives, and experts from CORAL that will give workshops.
• Love Our Planet Week: In conjunction with Clean Up the World Weekend, Love Our Planet Week will take place September 20-27 and will feature interactive presentations, activities and fish counts lead by CORAL representatives.

Details of these and other activities will be announced throughout the year.

Located eighty-six miles east of Aruba, the Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire offers year-round sunshine, low annual rainfall, pristine coral formations and the most thriving fish population in the Caribbean. Ideal for adventurers, explorers and sun-worshippers alike, Bonaire offers myriad eco-adventure activities including world renowned scuba diving and snorkeling, windsurfing, kiteboarding, landsailing, mountain biking, sea and mangrove kayaking, horseback riding, nature tours, hiking, bird watching, sailing and deep sea and bone fishing. And with a selection of accommodations ranging from full-service oceanfront resorts and condominiums to guesthouses and small inns, Bonaire has something for every lifestyle and budget.