Our evening meeting was with Dr. Maickel Armenteros
Almanza, Subdirector de Investigaciones Ecologia Marina
(Subdirector of Investigating Marine Ecology) for (I believe)
the entire Nation of Cuba.
This was another educational component part of our
qualification to visit Cuba. Cheryl spoke with him at length
about how tourism and a new partnership with Aggressor Fleet
would (or would not) change the rules for the marine park we were going to.
(For concerns already being expressed by environmentalists, read HERE
(AT THIS TIME there have been no new permitts issued
for/in Jardines de la Riena; the Italian Company is partnering
with Agressor Fleet and will be sharing the permit that allows
a MAXIMUM of 3000 visitors TOTAL
[fishermen or scuba divers/snorkelers]
into that park. The new Agressor boat in still being built in a
Cuban shipyard and not expected to launch until 2017.
NO ONE we talked with KNOWS exactly how this will work
or what it will mean. Will Avalon and Agressor alternate weeks?
Boats? One of the crew on the Avalon told me THE ENTIRE OF
NEXT YEAR IS ALREADY SOLD OUT on their boat.
People who had been coming every year told her
they could no longer book a trip for NEXT YEAR.
He suggested a local place to eat rather than the Hotel Nacional.
He sat almost across the table from me, to Billy's right,
and gave advice and translated items on the menu for us.
He shared his opinions and experiences at some of the
national hotels and restaurants and walked with me
back to the hotel; we discussed backgrounds and he quipped,
"You've been diving since a year before I was born!"
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