MENTAWAI SURFSPOTS BEING BOMBED!

[jaffa1949]

We've had a terrible problem with bomb boats this year. Although it is very illegal, there have been 1-5 bomb boats working the south Siberut/Playgrounds area since before Christmas. Countless animals and acres of coral have been killed. It was a sad day for me personally when the dugong that has been living around the resort for years washed up on the beach dead after a bomb boat attack. Although we have called every agency possible, nothing has been done and the boats are still operating as we speak. Christie from Wavepark is drumming up support to light a fire under the government. Please read below and support by signing This petition.

The petition has been updated with an easier link:
https://www.change.org/mentawaibombs
Thanks again for sharing.

This is an attempt at stopping the bombs, I really hope you can help me.

For over 1 month now, the playgrounds area has had at least 3 boats every day bombing our reefs. When the weather is good, they can do over 5 cycles of bombing and collecting the dead fish in a day. Each cycle is between 5 - 8 bombs. Just doing a low average we calculate over 2250 bombs have been exploded in our 15 mile radius area. You can see what this looks like from footage shot this morning.

THE LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_81OhkhFXUc

We couldn't go swimming in the ocean on our lunch break today because there are bombs going off 200 meters from our resort. I'm not exaggerating. Those of you who have been here, the footage on the link was from the north side of the sand island, directly in front of the resort. This is one of our favorite snorkeling spots in the past. Watching the video, I'm sure it has been obliterated now.

HOW YOU CAN HELP.
Please share the video link with whoever you think can help to get the word out. I need this posted on every site, everybody's FB and linked as if there is no tomorrow.
The goal is to help Indonesians feel strongly about protecting their waters from bomb boats, and nudge them into action. So any of your Indonesian friends with connections, websites or blogs, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE forward it onto them with the instructions to do the same again. I want to see 1,000,000 viewed and 500,000 comments by tomorrow morning please.

As you'll have noticed, I have scorched the personal introspective stuff on the video so that I'm not recognizable. I'm sure I don't need to tell you why this is. Both me and the resort name should be erased from any record online, as these are nasty people, and who knows what they are capable of. Pirates in every sense of the word.

If there is one positive difference YOU are going to make online today, please spend an hour of your life and get this to as many people who you think will make a difference. We've tried everything else, and the bomb boats are still here. I think in the age of social media, we can do better.

Time is against us. Another 28 bombs have gone off that I have heard whilst sitting here writing to you and waiting for the upload to finish.

This was posted to me by several resorts, owners and locals in the area, the reefs cannot survive this and this type of fishing is absolutely unsustainable, nothing lives after the bombing.

Please do what you can, write post or do anything to encourage the Indonesian government to shut down this type of activity.

[jaffa1949]

I just thought I'd post a little news on this sad topic, which unfortunately didn't evoke much response here

The Facebook, other forum campaigns, magazine website and direct petitions to Th Indonesian Government and action by surf tour companies resulted in the bombing being stopped.

Indonesia does not have a large infrastructure to take on this sort of activity, but when faced with the consequences of decreased surf,diving and fishing tourism in$$$$$ terms they have done something and the bombing has stopped.

My comment here is each surfer is a valued link in a multi million group, if your environment where you surf is being damaged you can pull in great help to stop it!

Think about thes groups

Surfrider foundation, SAS, please add your own local environmental groups so you can call in help!

Also give back to the communities you surf in, Surfaid International, there is a groups teaching people to surf in the slums and favelas of South America and South Africa.

As more of you get to travel, look beyond the surf break see if there is something you can do to improve things! Leave things a little better than you found them.

[Rickyroughneck]

It is shocking that dynamite fishing still occurs. Wasteful and incredibly damaging.

[nottyR6]

Sorry I'm late but I've just signed the petition. I am strongly against the short term damage we are doing to our planet, god only knows what we are leaving for our children.

[jaffa1949]

Better late than never

There is ome pretty corrupt stuff behind the scenes but the loss of surf tour dollars has made the government pay attention and do something.