Unfortunately nothing much is happening at all; I have sent another e-mail to Paul Holthus in hopes of getting something going and stating my concern about the funding limits set for the net training project. I hope to hear from him soon. I have been told to get a hold of Peter Scott and asked for his e-mail (the current CORL cash crunch makes it impossible for me to phone long distance.) and I still have not received this contact information (John Brandt can you find me his Philippine e-mail address?).
At the request of both Steve and Ferdinand I'm scaling back on who is to receive the net training. The CORL net training program in the Philippines will now focus just on those who are collecting in areas where the selection for the Marine Ornamental Trade is still good (still about 1000 collectors).
CORL hasn't and will not abandon those collectors (and villagers) who are still collecting in (living off) degraded habitats. I will be working on another program just for them that will address their problems much better and we will be seeking funding for it in the upcoming year.
The work I'm doing here in American Samoa is directly linked to the work that CORL will be doing in the Philippines. The Current funding Crisis that we are in, is hampering all of CORL's work at the moment. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated at this time. I can't do this all on my own folks, CORL needs your help and needs it now. Please show some support as without it we can't do the net training you are asking us to do. We can send netting and supplies by the ton but without the proper training it's worthless.
Keeping CORL-USA open will reduce the overhead cost of the PI net training; it gives us a staging and storage area to work from for all of CORL's overseas offices. It is a vital link between the hobbyist and CORL. We can move the CORL office here to American Samoa but the added overhead will greatly hamper CORLs projects (freight, Long distance phone calls, and poor Internet service).
I'd really like to see the work that Steve, Ferdinand and I have worked so hard on to do pay off for those collectors in the Philippines, and the hobbyist who want the Net Caught Fish. But for CORL to make that happen the support needed has to go so much further than Nets and Training. The support needed has to be for CORL itself. The funding we receive from our projects must go to those projects it is sought for, little if any can go back to the main CORL office. Being a not for profit company means that the amount received for a project must equal the amount spent and only the extra operating cost incurred by CORL in the project can be covered. This means that the normal operating cost of CORL can not be derived from those funded projects we do. We must fund the normal operating cost and also all the projects that CORL does on its own from donations by sponsors. (yes I'm CORL's biggest sponsor ). The hobbyist have helped supply some of the needed netting material now we could use some help with the needed training and support of CORL who it seems all are depending upon to make that training happen.
Thanks
Mike King
[email protected]
