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Gili Islands Diving
Did you know that 25 percent of all reefs are in
Indonesia? With over 3,500 species living in the Indonesian underwater world, we have one of the richest diversities of marine life in the Indo-Pacific region. In comparison, the
Great Barrier Reef has just 1,500 species and the Red Sea has only 600 species. Our drop-offs, plateaus and slopes reflect a good cross-section of what
Indonesia has to offer. Dive in and be fascinated by
turtles, white tip reef sharks, cuttlefish, moray
eels, angelfishes, ghost pipefish and more.
It doesn’t matter how much experience you have, we will find the ideal dive site for you.
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Gili Eco Trust
 The
Gili island are situated in one of most diverse marine
environments in the world. Part of the famed coral triangle
which encompasses a huge area that streches to Malaysia and
spreads through much of Nusa Tenggara Barat, were in lie the
island that include Lombok. Protecting this area is paramaount
to environmentalists and has been protected marine park since
1992. The challenges that face this protection policy are
largely financial, further hindered by the sheer size of the
area needing supervision. The Gili Eco-Trust was established
by bussiness operator inhabitants of the Gili Island in 2001
and many of the projects that have been intiated have proved
succesful. There is nevertheless much work still tobe done. "
Seven diving companies were instrumenntal in setting up this
trust. Many of these bussiness depend on the marine diversity
and health of the underwater gardens in this area, " explains
Alice, a diving instructor and volunteer for the Trust. The
trust is funded by stake holders, local bussineses, and driver
who pay contribution for each dive that goes to fund
activities of the trust and other environmental groups whens
possible.
 Initially the main concern of the trust was
banning cyanide and dynamite fishing, a common practice for
local fishermen," explains Alice. Creating Awarenessand
establishing alternative practices including fish farming and
creating fish agreate sites. The Trust is also looking at
models for creating alternative, sustainable livelihoods one
of which is an ornamental fish bussiness, " There are many
models being tested in Bali and other parts of Indonesia and
We are interested in those for a viable alternative for local
fishermen. To date one of the most succesfull programs has
been the bio-rock project, a system of metal grids that are
fed a low electrical charge, causing the coral to regenerate.
Fish are then attracted to the coral and the eco-system is
re-established. The Trust also seeks to raise funds to help
local enterprises and fund other environment programs,
Awareness and education are also vital to the sustainability
of all the project undertaken and the local population and
bussinessare all taking steps to ensure that this is a
protected environmentas more building and greater numbers of
visitor impact on it. " we are looking at programs for
severage disposal as run off adversely affects coral and fish
in this area. Then there is a problem of waste and already.
Waste sorting and recycling programs have been introduce and
tourism operators are encourage to take responsibility for all
the rubbish they bring to the Island. A pilot project with the
local primary school has introduce a toilet block that
generates compost and bio gas as well as the creation of a
small garden and a tree planting project. " We aim to create
some fun projects that will appeal to the local workers and
and their children and ones that are inclusive, so everyone is
aware of how they personally can make a difference," continues
Alice. The Eco-Trust is volunteer based organization and the
members are working hard to improve the environment they live
and work in while recognizing the significance of this area in
terms of the globe. Its a very special that deserves careful
attention, the success of the program undertaken thus far is
encouragement enough for many of the hard working members of
this special trust. A fundraising events is planned for April
14 when a world record holding diver will attempt a new world
record for submersion.
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