Indonesia has announced plans to gradually start lifting restrictions on travel. According to newspaper reports, the current plans aim for quarantine periods for vaccinated travelers to be reduced from 5 to 3 days on or by 1 March, with the possibility that all quarantine requirements will be lifted by 1 April.
Andrey Ryanskiy has published the latest in his series of photographic marine life guides. Covering the reefs of Indonesia, the new book features 203 pages and includes over 1,600 fishes, turtles, invertebrates and marine plants.
Authors Tim Rock and Simon Pridmore have announced that their guidebook to Indonesia diving is now available. “The 50 Best Dives in Indonesia” has full color throughout with 220 pages, maps and over 270 images. If your favorite dive site has not been included, the authors suggest that it was number 51…..
Early monday morning ten sperm whales were spotted beached along shore in the Aceh Province of Indonesia. Approximately 50 volunteers organized through conservation groups entered the water and worked through the night to attempt to rescue the whales. While six of the sperm whales were rescued, four of the whales unfortunately died. Beachings are not very common in Indonesia, however, a group of 29 pilot whales stranded in 2016 close to Jakarta.
The Indonesian government has deliberately sunk a further 81 foreign vessels that had been caught illegally fishing in the nation’s waters. The Bangkok Post reports that the boats were of Vietnamese, Philippine, Malaysian and Thai origin. The ships were blown up at sea in 12 locations around the archipelago on Saturday. (Image by Antoni Halim/Shutterstock.com)
One week ago, on tuesday April 5th, Indonesia’s Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti gave a live stream order and simultaneously blew up 23 illegal fishing vessels in seven different locations around the country. The Indonesian government has stepped up efforts to keep illegal fishing vessels out of its waters in recent years.
The Indonesian government has announced that they plan to remove the need for visitors from 30 countries to purchase visas upon arrival. By contrast, the Egyptian government has announced that individual visitors will be required to apply for visas from embassies and consulates prior to travel
In Indonesia’s “tough, new stance to protect manta rays and stop illegal fishing and trading” the first illegal trader of manta ray parts has been sentenced. The trader, known as Wrd, was arrested with four others in August and September of last year. This is the first sentencing to be handed down under the new law that was enacted last year.
The Indonesia World Underwater Photo contest is now accepting entries. The competition, organized by the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, actually started to accept entries on 1 January, and will remain open until 30 November 2013. Images are being accepted in 7 categories, with prizes for each as well as a prize for Best in Show. Images must have been taken in Indonesia, and all entrants submitted are required to have taken the images whilst diving with a participating dive operator (PDO) and be accompanied by the local dive leader provided by them. Entries are free but must be submitted via the PDO.
Full rules and procedures are on the Indonesia Underwater Photo contest website. Given that the prize fund is $200,000, this is another good reason to come to Indonesia as a part of the Wetpixel Lembeh macro workshop.