Kalk,
The tests are not the proof of the amount of cyanide used daily in Bali / Indo.
The testimony of the folks there in the front lines is more important and as always awaits a test to catch up to the truth already well known.
Waiting for a test before acting conclusively condemns
reefs of coral to death as years pass by.
There is a great stress and tension in Bali now as the certified exporters pressure MAC for a fish or two to whitewash their operations.
To cover and whitewash a thousand fish, all they need is a dozen or so common species and they'll spin it into great achievement.
The problem is ...as in the Philippine to come up with the fish.
Meanwhile, the M.O. conference
saw Ruwindrijarto and Arsonetri of the
Les Village netcaught co-operative present their work and it was clearly the main event in the reform drama.
Les has led the way on their own and without much foreign help.
They have converted a few hundred cyanide fishers and have stuck with net catching only for 5 years now. they have an uncompromising policy of not allowing any cyanide fish or fisherman into their ranks.
Indonesia/Bali is in fact flooded with a tradition of cyanide fishing and is now the cyanide fishing center of the world....and dirtier then the Philippines.
Everyones favorite exporters from Bali carry cyanide fish routinely and yet have hardly cared as they get nice corals from the same outfits.
When reefers get the small corals they love they tend to forget about coral killing poisons that catch the fish.
When they revealed as a matter of fact that
they were the only 100% netcaught operation in Bali there were murmurs in the crowd.
They have nets provided by AMDA and EASi of the Philippines and they have had training to do the job. They are now moving forward into marketing their fish.
The director of Les...Ruwi also said that they were clearly and steadfastly a non MAC enterprise.
They are looking for buyers of their all netcaught product and have had a hard time doing so as no wholesalers have been interested except for Aquatic Specialties in the SF Bay area.
Steve