Here are some news more or less related to ecotourism, environment or
tourism in Dominican Rep.
extracted from DR1 newsletter of two last weeks
4. Extraction of sand from rivers banned
President Leonel Fernandez banned the extracting of sand from four
rivers in the National District, Bayaguana to save these from
extinction. The rivers are Haina, Isabela, Higuero and Ozama. The Listin
Diario also reports that studies showed that fishes have died in the
Haina river due to toxic wastes of industries in the area.
11. New airline promises to fly to Haiti
Tropical Airways is announcing upcoming flights to Haiti starting 9
August. Flights will depart from Herrera Airport at 8 am Monday to
Saturday and at 4:30 pm on Sunday. Flight times are approximately 50
minutes, but there is an hour different between Haiti and the DR. In
Haiti it is an hour earlier. The return flights Monday to Saturday are
at 5 pm, arriving in Santo Domingo at 6:50 pm. On Sunday, the return
flight is planned for 5:30 pm arriving in Santo Domingo at 7:20 pm. For
more information, contact the firm at 541-5306 or 541-5307. They are
located at Edificio Caribe, Calle Gustavo Mejia
Ricart 54. Email: comercial@sapair.com
5. New river protection decree being ignored
The news daily Listin Diario reports that a vigil conducted by its
reporters at rivers covered by the new President Decree 296-99 show that
the decree is being ignored and the authorities charged with enforcing
it are not doing so. Observation of the Haina, Isabela, Higüero and
Ozama rivers found that trucks continued to extract sand, gravel and
stones from the river bed in flagrant violation of the decree issued
last week. Further, no representatives of the National Police (PN) or
the Aqueduct and Sewer Corporation of Santo Domingo (CAASD), the two
institutions charged by the decree with its enforcement, were observed
checking on the rivers and impeding the work of the extractors. One of
the truck drivers questioned by Listin indicated that he did not fear
enforcement of the decree, because the owner of his truck was a colonel
who had assured him that he would not be touched by the law. Meanwhile,
a number of environmental groups have strongly criticized the new decree
for limiting its prohibition on materials extraction from riverbeds to
just a few rivers, most of which are not the ones most affected by that
practice. Most groups have called for the application of the prohibition
to be national, or at least to cover the Nizao, Nigua, Yubazo, Yuna,
Chavón and Yásica rivers, where extraction is said to be causing serious
ecological damage to the rivers.
6. Fire destroys part of Manatí Park Bávaro
Last Friday a fire reduced to ashes part of the main plaza of the Manatí
Park amusement center near the Bávaro tourism zone. The fire destroyed
two clothing shops, a photography studio, a bar, a kitchen, an ice cream
parlor and a series of freezers. Thanks to efforts by Park workers, the
fire was extinguished before damaging the area where the water shows –
featuring dolphins and seals, among other animals – are performed daily.
Nonetheless, damages are estimated to be more than a million pesos. The
cause of the blaze has not yet been determined, although police have
detained two employees for questioning.
8. Iguana is new mascot of Coral Hotels
Coral Hotels and Resorts, a Dominican hotel chain, signed an agreement
with the National Zoo to
support their program of conservation of Rhinoceros Iguanas. Coral is
part of the BHD group of
companies (primarily financial services). The BHD will provide funds for
the research and
preservation of these iguanas, a native species. The company will be
selling t-shirts, hats and
stuffed toys with the iguana motif at their hotels, and funds will be
used to protect the
iguana, an endangered species.
X- Free email for Dominican farmers
The government signed an agreement with the University of Rochester, the
Massachusetts Institute Technology and the Instituto Tecnológico de
Costa Rica to
develop “Intelligent electronic Communities.” This program will bring
free email, medical
teleconferencing and other high tech benefits to far away Dominican
rural communities. The state
university, UASD, will be the local educational partner. “I think this
will bring about an
extraordinary revolution as farmers in remote rural communities will be
able to communicate by email
with their relatives in Europe and the United States,” said President
Leonel Fernández upon
making the announcement. “It will give the poor people of our country
permanent access to the most sophisticated levels of technology. The
President spoke on the TV program, “Milenio: Agenda Nacional” produced
by Yaqui Nuñez del Risco and Miledys de Cabral on Channel 4.
3. RD$2,633 a month, new minimum wage for hotel personnel
The National Wages Committee announced that the new minimum wage for
entertainment sector employees is RD$2,633 a month. This wage applies to
those employed in hotels, casinos, restaurants, bars, cafeterias, and
like establishments with minimum RD$500,000 in assets. Businesses with
assets from RD$200,000-RD$499,999 can pay their employees RD$1,880 a
month. Even smaller businesses can pay RD$1,693 a month.
12. Gastronomy Festival set for 3-4 August
25th National Gastronomy Festival is set for Tuesday, and Wednesday, 3
and 4 August. The most important gastronomic event
held in the DR, this festival is sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism,
the National Association of Hotels & Restaurants, the
Hotels Association of Santo Domingo, the Association of Chefs of the DR
and the Caribbean Traveling Network, a travel
television channel. It will be held at the Hotel V Centenario
Intercontinental.
Tuesday, 3 August: soups, appetizers, salted dishes, meats, Dominican
cuisine, rices, and pastries will be judged.
On Wednesday, 4 August: salads, pastas, poultry, fish, seafood,
vegetable, sweet dishes and Dominican sweets.
An admission fee of RD$500 per person is charged, as this year the
festival is a benefit for the Hogar de Niños Nuestra Señora
de la Altagracia, and Father Luis Rosario’s Casa de la Acogida.
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