Great Fishwatching Vacations
Creating
marine reserves can reverse the despoliation of the sea that fishing has
caused, forming sanctuaries in which fish are safe from hook, trap and
trawl. Where reserves have been established and are well protected, fish
populations quickly rebound, sometimes becoming five or ten times as abundant
as in fished areas. Fish in reserves grow larger, and the most vulnerable
and spectacular species are able to make a comeback. Better still, reserves
can supply fish to nearby fishing grounds, boosting catches.
Marine reserves provide a window to the past in which we are able to travel
back two hundred years to experience the sea as it once was - teeming
with fish. Places with well-protected marine reserves where snorkellers
and divers can lose themselves among swirling shoals of fish include:
Belize:
Hol Chan Marine Reserve
St. Lucia, Caribbean: Soufriere Marine Management
Area
Belize: Gladden Spit Marine Reserve
New Zealand: Poor Knights Islands and Goat Island
Philippines: Apo Island
USA: Anacapa Island, California
Bahamas: Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park
South Africa: Tsitsikamma Marine Reserve
Egypt: Ras Mohammed National Park, Red Sea
Kenya: Mombasa Marine National Park
Australia: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park