News Focus: BANDA HOSTING UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION By Otniel Tamindael

Jakarta, April 26, (ANTARA) - As part of upcoming international marine event of Sail Banda, the Banda island is hosting an undersea-photography competition from April 25-30, 2010.

At least two foreign photographers are to take part in the competition aimed at promoting environmental awareness and a greater appreciation of Indonesia's beautiful and delicate aquatic ecosystem.

"Christian Hinckley and Hendri Tjhang of Singapore are the foreign participants in the undersea photo-taking competition in Banda," Sail Banda local committee spokesman Cak Saimima said in Ambon on Monday.

He said the foreign photographers and their Indonesian colleagues left Ambon for Banda Neira on Sunday morning by MV Siwalima.

Supported by Forumsalem - Indonesia's popular scuba diving community - the competition will also serve as an opportunity for discussion and exchange of ideas on strategies relevant and effective for promoting sustainable tourism practices in Maluku Province.

The participants will be assigned specific tasks and themes on each dive to test their general knowledge and understanding of marine life, analytical skills, technical/equipment mastery, sportsmanship, environmental awareness and conservation ethics.

Earlier, on Friday they enjoyed the undersea panoramic view at Laha village in Teluk Ambon subdistrict, while some of them explored undersea caves off the coast of Hukurila village at Leitimur Selatan sub-district in Ambon before leaving for Banda on Saturday.

"The two diving sites were introduced by former Pattimura Military Commander Maj Gen M Noer Muis who is currently Bukit Barisan military commander," Saimima said.

The Banda Islands, also known as the fabled "Spice Islands," are located at the heart of an important historical and cultural region characterized by exceptional natural beauty, fascinating geological processes and some of the world's most pristine and biologically diverse marine life.

Therefore, Saimima said, the former Pattimura military commander initiated the underwater photography competition in Banda island and would also act with Christoffel Simanjuntak and Edy Purnomo as the jury.

"The former Pattimura Military commander has promised to promote undersea natural beauty of Maluku, found nowhere else in the world," Saimima said, adding that the underwater photo competition was part of Sail Banda which was scheduled to last from June 17 to August 17, 2010.

Meanwhile, Noer Muis said the participants of the photo competition took their leisure time to go diving at the two separate locations in Laha and Hukurila on Friday and Saturday before leaving for Banda.

"The best pictures of the undersea photography competition in Banda will be shown in a book titled "Exploring Banda Islands" to be published soon ," Noer Muis said.

Noer Muis admitted that although he was Bukit Barisam military commander, he would continue to visit Maluku to promote and develop the undersea natural beauty in the province.

Saimima said both foreign and domestic photographers are taking part in the competition to immortalize undersea panoramas featuring many coral reefs and ornamental fish in Banda islands.

Saimima said the photographers from Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Bali, and from other countries had arrived in Ambon and left for Banda by MV Siwalima at their own expense.

He said the undersea photography competition in Banda would be funded by the former Pattimura military commander.

"The funds to pay the costs of the competition including the trophies, bonuses, certificates, cameras, and other necessities are to be borne by Maj Gen Noer Muis," Saimima said early this month.

He added the photos taken in the competition would be used to promote the undersea panoramic beauty in Maluku, especially Banda islands, in foreign countries to arouse interest in visiting Malauku.

Meanwhile, the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry will also organize another undersea photo-taking competition next June as part of the upcoming international marine event of Sail Banda 2010.

Saimima said many more activities would be conducted in Ambon and Banda after the Sail Bada is launched in Ambon on April 17, 2010.

Managed jointly by Sail Indonesia, the Indonesian Navy, Indonesian Marine Foundation Yayasan Cinta Bahari, and the Indonesian Sailing Federation, Sail Banda is to be Indonesia`s largest marine event this year.

This year, the Maluku provincial government will have the honor to host the international marine event that will be concentrated on the islands of Ambon, Banda, and Southwest Maluku (MBD) district town of Wonreli in Kisar Yotowawa.

Saimina said at least 200 boats and yachts would join the event.

"Our target is that at least 200 boats and yachts will participate in the event, and some 62 of them have already registered. We still have three months left to meet our target," Cak Saimima said recently.

He said the event was intended to introduce Maluku`s marine tourism potentials to the international community, and to convince them that the province was really safe for tourists after the long sectarian conflict a few years ago.

The yachts will depart from Darwin, Australia on July 24, 2010 and during the following 3 months the participants are invited to participate in a series of cultural festivals at the different stopovers across Indonesia on the islands of Timor, Banda, Ambon, Buton, Lembata, Wakatobi, Flores, Sulawesi, Bali, Java, Borneo, Belitung and finally on to Batam or Bintan just south of Singapore.

In Moluku Province the participants of the event could visit many interesting and amazing places such as; Sea Garden, Belgica Fort, House of Bung Hatta, House of Iwa Kusuma Sumantri, Agro Tourism in Banda, Natsepa Beach, Hunimua Beach, Pintu Kota Beach, Manuala Beach, Namalatu Beach, Pasir Putih Beach (Alang), Amsterdam Fort, Old Mosque (Kaitetu), Old Church (Hila), Siwalima Museum in Ambon, Historical and megalithic sites and villages in Kisar.