Tuesday, March 24, 2020

COVID 19: We are Shark Diving!

Happier days - great pic by Allen. Click for detail!
 
We are being asked, so there.

Fiji has its first three confirmed coronavirus cases.
The first is a flight attendant and the others are his mother and nephew, and they are in isolation. The other members of the family have been tested and they've all come back negative but remain isolated. Lautoka where they reside is on lock-down, and the police and military are monitoring that nobody comes out or goes in. So far, there are also no news about any colleagues, passengers or other contacts having been infected which is great. But they too will need to get in contact and self quarantine as a minimum - c'mon people!
There has been a tiny bit of panic shopping and price gouging, and some total morons have posted misleading and inflammatory comments, but the police has quickly put an end to all those shenanigans. 
And all flights by Fiji Airways have been suspended - likely now including any flights to Singapore that is now closed as well.

But I must really say that considering, that's a small price to pay.
When I read stuff like this, and that the beaches in Florida and Australia have remained open = and now those retards will go home and kill their families and neighbors, I'm happy that none of those folks are being allowed to come here and infect us, too.
And I must really say that Fiji's government is doing an admirable job both in containment and disseminating timely information - and hopefully, this Thursday's emergency budget will also include some mitigation for the many, many people especially in the tourism industry that are being let go and are losing their livelihoods. Fiji can surely not do that alone (= that would be our Finance Minister speaking) - but I'm hopeful that the usual development partners from World Bank to ADB to EU, Australia and NZ etc will lend a helping hand.

Of course our business has dropped to zero.
Fortunately, Andrew is doing a fantastic job in managing the dive shop and consequently, we have some small reserves and are able to retain all our wonderful staff and even assure them a minimum income for the next months to come.

And we are continuing to dive!
Andrew will schedule a dedicated coral dive for two paying customers, and a Shark dive for four - so please, if you are in Fiji feel free to drop him a line or call 345 0911 as he may even extend a nice little discount to locals = citizens and residents! And just to be perfectly clear, no, right now there will be none of the usual freebies, sorry!
And should everything fail, we will run a weekly Shark dive even without clients, this in order to monitor and keep the Sharks happy and also safe - and also, to record any changes which will eventually result in a nice little scientific note! 

And Tashi Blue continues to curate My Fiji Shark.
This is not the time for complacency as I believe that as Government resources are being diverted elsewhere, compliance with Fish management measures will decrease, and our marine stocks will be under increased attack as a consequence. With that in mind, any assistance is highly welcome, the more as we will most definitely have to step up and invest scarce resources in running patrols to defend Fiji's first National Marine Park.
So, what are you waiting for - thank you!

Obviously this is all until further notice.
Over here, everything is being done communally and with that in mind, social distancing is simply not going to work, period. Yes I know that many are preaching the right things, and that local gatherings have been banned, and that the schools have been closed etc etc - but ultimately it is a deep-rooted cultural thing, and it will not fundamentally change.
But so far, it really looks like the excellent response of Government has managed to contain the spread of the virus - and there are other measures like local lock-downs, road blocks and curfews that may prevent the worst. 
So Bravo, a huge Vinaka Vakalevu and fingers crossed!

And if  things change?
It will be bloody tough - but we will adapt and prevail!
 
And finally
Please, STAHP believing and even worse, repeating what you read on those idiotic social media but instead, get your information here (FB here)! Seriously, this is not the time for politics, backstabbing and silly jokes: we will only survive if we all hold hands!
And that also applies to any comments to this post. Please!

Anyway.
Let's go Shark diving!

To be continued no doubt!
 

Monday, March 09, 2020

Palau: QED!

Source.

And here we go.

Looks like Palau's Marine Sanctuary has backfired.
All I can say is that I'm totally not surprised, see here and here.
That's what you get when NGOs parachute in and propose half-baked solutions to credulous politicians.

And now?
Accountability anybody?
 
Yeah I know I know...

Friday, March 06, 2020

Forrest Galante, Cretin!

Who, exactly, thought that this was ever gonna be funny? Source.

Read this - pretty disgusting huh.

But of course nothing of it is in any way surprising.
It's same old same old, just yet another piece of deception, featuring yet another unethical self promoting media whore.

Obviously, the real problem is not Galante.
He's just yet another disrespectful moron parading himself on television - dime a dozen, and more turn up every year for ever more bizarre shows that are just mindbogglingly idiotic. His mother who knows him best calls him a cretin, and is likely 100% correct - and I can most certainly leave it at that.
 
Because the real problem are the American networks.
One would think that at least the corporate entities would care about such archaic and obscure concepts as telling the truth, or behaving ethically, be it only to safeguard their own reputation - but no such luck.
Every year, we get asked  to partake in some of their shitty, exploitative shows - and every year, we inevitably turn them down as soon as they show us their idiotic scripts. Sometimes, I really wonder where that relentless race to the bottom is gonna lead us - but then again...

And talking of which.
If you thought that Shark Week was being reformed and getting "better", think again - and increasingly, it's not only the idiotic fabricated scripts with their gratuitous drama, and the insufferable idiotic anchors and cameramen.
Having had the misfortune to watch a few recent shows whilst in New Zealand, they did feature several prominent Shark researchers for whom I've now lost every last shred of respect.  Seriously, what a bunch of pathetic hypocrites - and folks, never, ever claim that you got conned into participating in that shit because you knew, and chose to totally sell out! 

And this year?
Trust me, nothing whatsoever will change, zero. 
Having checked, it will be the same tired lineup of media whores from producers to anchors to cameramen to researchers aggregating for their pathetic yearly meal ticket and regaling us with the same old tired pathetic lineup of boring, contrived and exploitative programs. 
Luckily it does not impact Shark conservation one way or the other - but considering how much better it could be, it remains highly irritating never the less.

Incidentally, for us that continued fiasco has been great.
Our steadfast refusal to prostitute ourselves has earned us a reputation for integrity and as a consequence, the great, respectful shows with honest, credible people tend to gravitate towards us - and guess what, those folks even pay their bills!

But I'm digressing as always.
Read the article at the top - and as a minimum, stop believing those media, and stop admiring those horrible people!
It's all staged BS, and those folks are in it only for the $$$, with the animals being abused as props - and no brazen greenwashing will ever change that.
Oh and... cinema science my ass!  You know who you are!
 
Anyway.
Let's go Shark diving - respectfully!