I’not too sure if dive teams would care too much about the the long term survival of the whales or eye the short term, quick dollar approach through the dives. I can perfectly see the rush of the boats close to the whales and possibly sometimes huritng and scaring the beautiful elegant creatures.

At the same time, we, as Maldivians need to be given more assurances about this tagging technique used by MWSR. Anyway, how long is the contract for the tagging in this zone? Is this unlimited, and do you go on tagging the whales forever?

I believe some sort of migration monitoring technique is essential (as well as the amount of dives), if we want to study the behaviour in order to aid protection. At the heart of this is the issue of an independent research team that doesn’t favour the tourists of its sponsor resorts. That needs to be looked into.

Regulating the whale watching divers is important, but its their right too. The dives add to our livelihhod, but they must be done with care and protection of the whales, as an esential element. This needs to ensured through effective policy implementation.

MWSR needs to work more closely with the local community and the tourism industry, not by getting their tourists involved to aid sponsorship – that’s too tircky. Get sponsorhsips from other sources (it’s hard) but shoudl you really go for the quick buck approach too?

Can you believe this? They got it all figured!

“2010 promises to be very busy – The whole team hopes to be able to build on the MWSRP’s achievements in the coming year. 2010 goals: The development of a one hundred percent self sufficient eco-facility, to enable a year-round presence for visiting researchers, scientists, students, teachers and volunteers is being planned in partnership with Sheppard Robson (leaders in sustainable design) and the Maldives’ Ministry of Tourism, two foreign student exchange schemes are in motion (one in the UK, the other in Qatar), the MPA development will continue with baseline coral reef and species specific studies and a MPA management specific NGO is being initiated. An American based ‘Friends Of’ organisation is also in the process of registration and the whale shark research will continue to provide the scientific basis behind the programme’s broader conservation goals.”

Charity will develop a one hundred percent self sufficient eco-facility!
The last bit is really scientific….”provide the scientific basis behind the programme’s broader conservation goals.”

It is really shocking how these smarts are scheming like modern day pirates.
Their reports have already published information from some australian research. Somehow, the same methods and tags are being used here. Obviously no new information can be collected. Its just a matter of who can deploy most number of tags.
What could be the scientific basis behind the programs broader conservation goals.
Thakura, you will have to go to a scientific research lab to verify and simplify the meaning behind broader conservation goals. To me it sounds like NONSENSE!
Sometimes nonsense makes sense to pseudo scientists! hehehehehehe!

“The tagging research program was authorized under Marine Research Permit No. IR-P/2008/03 from the Ministry of Fisheries, Agriculture and Marine Resources, Male, Republic of Maldives to B. S. Stewart. We also thank Mohamed Faiz, Adbulla Naseer, M. Shiham Adam, Charles Anderson, and Mohamed Hameed for helping with and facilitating issuance of the research permit and for their support of our research program.”

Quite a network they built for themselves. This Charles is also a very interesting character….! Many publications..!
The stories never end…………..
Thakura…lets research these guys……mwsrp. Some fellows even challenge an audit!…now…why did that come up?..can you guess? I have no idea!
my….my….my…. Im stunnnnnedddd!!!!!

Now Now, Mr. know it all, gone are the days when the retarded island people bow down to the french conquistador. The names you have mentioned above are actually the names i my self also call them.
There is no coward here..!!!! Ask them they also call me Issay. Do you want my address… but i got no time to go and sit with you. we have more important things to do.

The fact that no Maldivians are willing to go help you is because, why do we waste our precious time to help you write and publish your egos..??

If you are still not willing to stop harpooning the fishes in the Maldives in the name of research. then things can turn pretty nasty. Please go tag each other, and do it out of Maldives. We are the Maldivians, we are the ones who dive with the fishes in these water, we know what they are, we do not need you to come and tell us, Whale sharks got spots on their backs.

This the problem with you guys, you just feel that you can go anywhere in the world and do whatever you want.. sorry pals. not here.. we will stop you from Tagging any fish in these water.. weather you like it or not.
Get a life. For the last time dont go talking abt I did this I did that. some Maldivians still thing that since your skin is fairer you know everything.. but not the divers in the diving industry. we know more than there is to be known abt your likes..
Get a life. shooo shooooo..LOL

No more Manta taggings in the Maldives!!

S pack ur bags and be ready to leave – government cannot stop us!!.

Did you know these mwsrp scientists have it all planned out to colonize the Maamigili area to accommodate friends from america and various other power yielding communities in the name of research. In their web site they already announced their intentions and partners!.SOOO,…make the best of it now cos later on you will not be allowed to enter that area. The scientists will conserve the place until nothing lives there anymore!
Once the research team is done, we will have to search and re-search and re-re-search for signs of life.
They will soon bring the new tags reseached by the australian research teams.
They are here because they can just go get them like peas in a grocery. In other places you need to search and locate with light air craft and then drive by speed boat to harass the animals!
OTHER RESEARCHERS ARE LOOKING FOR MORE HUMANE METHODS OF IDENTIFICATION COLLECTING INFORMATION!

Give a name for $$$$
Put a hat on it for $$$$
Have a 1 on 1 romantic time for $$$$$ ( Video extra $$$$)

This is more or less the idea behind all this….

I bet most of them they saw these animals yesterday or day before, and they are saying they are the experts of these animals. what a JOKE…

ciao

I’m telling you i cannot support for tagging or any research in that area, Neither “Sindi” nor “D.Brown”. That is marine protected area, even scientists shouldn’t be allowed to do their own studies. before their were no scientist or researchers, which was much better cos nobody have to warn or threat someone, which was more peaceful and we’ve been watching them.I’m living here since 1982, on and off. never ever heard about such kind of issue.

MWSRP made a guideline for these areas which is a good thing, even though its the same guideline as Australia. but that will not work in these areas, because there was no negotiation between MWSRP,resorts and Liveaboards. Most of the guides were not aware about those guidelines. Liveaboards have been watching them since the beginning of tourism, and they always try their best to protect that area, they always hated shark fisherman’s. but ofcourse no one can stop fishermans cos their was no LAW to stop them until Yesterday. I personally don’t want to meet any of these guys, cos i know i hated some of the things they did to these animals…They need to negotiate the Government and DAM together find a solution, but the best solution is that they get punished for what they have done wrong.

Have a wonderful DAY sir.

“….The recovered data on seawater temperature are used to refine estimates of movements and also to generally define the thermal habitats that the sharks live in and travel through, and the data on hydrostatic pressure are used to reconstruct the general vertical habitats that whale sharks likely forage in.”

See… they can
1- Refine estimates of movements
2- Generally define thermal habitats sharks live in and travel through.
3- Reconstruct the general vertical habitats whale sharks likely forage in.

Just imagine how much it can help to conserve the Maldive whale shark population and to generate income for the Maldivians through Scientific research.

I wonder what portion of the tag detaches and what remain embedded in the body. One type of tag they say they have to dig out of the whale shark. Dont worry……….., they have scientific methodology to dig them out of the whale shark!

Once there was a Charles guy who worked with Fish ministry for a thousand years, published many books, made a fortune and educated people through whale watching……..NON PROFIT…of course!..This guy wanted to share the spoils with a few fellows and introduced a new trend to cash in on whale sharks…..CHARITY…..! A seal fellow decided to make a publication by changing “seal” to “whale shark” on the previous thing…NON PROFIT…on course!

BEFORE THIS CHARITY MESSES UP OUR WHALE SHARK BUSINESS; GET THEM OUT OF HERE!