Officials of the diving centers and some officials pose on the beach for TV and photographers. (Tioman, Malaysia, July 2006)
Officials of the diving centers and some officials pose on the beach for TV and photographers. (Tioman, Malaysia, July 2006)

Ceremony for COT collectors

  Malaysia: Peninsula and Borneo - July 2006

Dear English-speaking readers, this page is an automatic translation made from a post originally written in French. My apologies for any strange sentences and funny mistakes that may have been generated during the process. If you are reading French, click on the French flag below to access the original and correct text: 

The acanthaster starfish, a coral eater, is called "crown of thorns" in English... or COT. And this Sunday, it's the COT collectors' day!

200 divers and 3,000 TOCs harvested

The crowns of thorns" harvest in Tioman, which I mentioned in the previous post, gives rise to a small ceremony, the next day, with lunch offered at the restaurant Nazri 1 from the end of the beach, to the more than 200 divers who participated in the operation.

An official makes a short speech in hesitant English at the microphone. In all, more than 3,000 bugs were collected. That's twice as many as last year.

Officials of the diving centers and some officials pose on the beach for TV and photographers. (Tioman, Malaysia, July 2006)
Officials of the diving centers and some officials pose on the beach for TV and photographers. (Tioman, Malaysia, July 2006)

I am not an expert in this field (and the environmental officer for the island even less so, as last year, the said official confused sea urchins and COTs, as one of the diving instructors mischievously told me), but in my humble opinion, this is a drop in the ocean (so to speak). As well intentioned as it may seem, this harvest, conducted only once a year, will surely not affect the local TOC population in the long term.

For my part, I think that it is mainly aimed at promoting the image of Tioman, for tourism development purposes, with financial objectives at stake, rather than really saving the reefs. The reefs would rather need to start by taking care of the waste treatment on the island (there's a lot of work to do!) and of the waste water discharge... But this, obviously, is more complicated and less fun to organize, as an operation.

Well, I confess, I'm being unkind. Each diver was given a small honorary diploma (it doesn't eat bread). I got mine...

I have my certificate proving that I participated in the "COTS Expedition". (Tioman, Malaysia, July 2006)
I have my certificate proving that I participated in the "COTS Expedition". (Tioman, Malaysia, July 2006)

🙃

  Malaysia: Peninsula and Borneo - July 2006

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  1. From TOC to CROT ...
    Je viens de lire tes trois derniers articles, super intéressants et divertissants. Ici, c’est moins exotique, je ne ramasse que des crottes de …souris! On se croirait dans une BD! Je découvre que c’est une bestiole bien rusée et bien intelligente!
    The rain, finally, after those hot days!
    Alain is almost on vacation, as you know, we leave tomorrow morning, early if possible ...
    Good end of stay, mil besos, Lydie.

  2. Genève… Ici, fait très chaud!!! Mais y’a pas de crottes de souris!!! Plus que 2 jours!!! 2 petits jours!!!!!!!! J’en peux plus, faut que ça s’arrête, même mes dents craquent!!!! Vais chez le dentiste vendredi matin (du coup, je rate la répétition, NA!!!!) Et vendredi soir, j’ai 5 semaines rien que pour moi, avec personne qui me dit de recommencer, que ce n’est pas bien, que mes bras sont trop ceci ou mon orteil droit trop cela!!!!!!!
    Lots of love.
    Beware of earthquakes and tsunamis !!!!

  3. Bonnes vacances a toutes les deux !!! C’est Mimi la souris qui va etre contente. La maison pour elle toute seule !
    La suite de mes aventures sera sur le blog tres bientot. Vu que je passe mes journees sur ou sous l’eau, pas trop le temps de passer du temps devant un ordi… Bizzzzzzzz

  4. Hello!
    Just a note to tell you not to spend too much time feeding your blog, still enjoy these moments of relaxation !!!!!!
    In addition, as of Tuesday I leave, so I will not be able to follow you anymore !!!!
    Kisses!

  5. Chasseuse de COT ! Alors ça, c’est un diplôme à accrocher. Rappelle moi de ne jamais devenir un COT. Je ne sais pas si tu auras le temps de continuer ton blog avant ton retour. Profites en un max avant de reprendre le taf. Tu nous raconteras la suite de vive voix. Tchao et à +
    FW

  6. Bon, un dernier petit commentaire avant de m’envoler à mon tour! Je n’aurai pas de blog mais bon… Demain ,c’est enfin le départ pour moi!!! J’ai du mal à réaliser!

    Comme le dit Funny World, ne “perds” pas ton temps sur l’ordi, profite de cette dernière semaine!!!
    Big big kisses!! See you soon!!!
    🙂

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