Klein Bonaire Rescued from Developers

Bonaire just got a little larger. On Thursday, December 30, after 131 years spent as private property, the small island of Klein Bonaire was acquired by the government of Bonaire for approximately U.S. $5 million. Much of Bonaire’s diving and snorkeling is around the island, which is only half a mile from Bonaire itself. Ef forts to develop the island, one of the last undeveloped islands of its size in the Caribbean, spurred the acquisition. Since the terms of the sale and financing actually require that Klein Bonaire be turned into a national park, divers are assured its pristine reefs will r emain free from the inevitable degradation the main island’s reefs experience with continued development. Bruce Bowker, President of the Foundation for the Preser vation of Klein Bonaire, stated that “as a National Park, Klein Bonair e is guaranteed to be saved from what would be ecological disaster through development. Now everyone can see one of the last untouched islands in the Caribbean.” Though most of the funds for Klein Bonaire’s purchase were supplied by the government of the Netherlands and the World Wildlife Fund, the foundation is still tr ying to raise the balance of its pledge. For more information, contact: FPKB, Telephone (011) 599-7- 8819, e-mail fpkb@caribinn.com; website www.kleinbonaire.org.