The Marine Park is very active on several intitatives, from direct interventions on-site to education and working with official channels. Below is a summary provided by the Marine Park itself. For more details on their projects and activities, please go to their Web site.
Along the North Western coast of Roatan exists the Sandy Bay West End Marine Park. The park was originally established as a reserve in 1989, limited to a stretch of 6 km within Sandy Bay. In January 2005 a group of concerned dive operators and anxious businesses united in an effort to protect the coral reef ecosystem and the Sandy Bay-West End Marine Park was created. The park now stretches 13km from Lawson Rock to Key Hole on the South Side of the island. Patrol boats are now present within the park throughout the day and night, working hard to protect the mangroves, beaches, sea grasses and coral reefs. Continuous generousity from the community has enabled the Marine Park to evolve into a huge success since its creation. Recent developments include an education program for local schools, improvement of marine infrastructure, design and implementation of tourist education programs, development of universal standards for diving, designing of a waste management program, and the continued financing of 2 patrol boats and 12 members of staff.
Park Rules & Regulations
The Roatán Marine Park is a non-governmental, community based initiative whose goal is to protect the reefs surrounding Roatán. The laws below are enforced and failure to comply will result in fines and/or imprisonment:
• No anchoring on the reef
• Cutting of mangroves is prohibited
• Development of iron shore is forbidden
• The use of spear guns and nets is prohibited
• Release of any toxic chemicals, including petroleum products, is forbidden
• It is illegal to capture endangered species (ie lobster, conch, Nassau grouper)
• No sewage is to be released into the sea within 5 miles of any Honduran coast
Guidelines
These general guidelines should be followed at all times to ensure the sustainability of the coral reef:
• The maximum speed within the lagoon is 10 kph (6 mph)
• Do not remove anything from the sea or beach
• Do not buy curios (marine life souvenirs)
• Do not touch the coral
• Do not wear gloves
• No littering
Please for any news of interest.