ScubaGlobe Asia Pacific - UK Rare corals intercepted

November 26 2008 AustraliaDivers support breast cancer dayWhen one of the members of Pro Dive Nelson Bay’s Narki Gnome Dive Club was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, the group wanted to support her and raise awareness for the Breast Cancer Network of Australia (BCNA). Diving was what brought them together, so they held an event with their own underwater twist. For the past eight years Mini-Fields of Women have been held in communities across Australia during October as part of Australia's breast cancer month, an initiative from The Breast Cancer Network of Australia (BCNA). The Mini-Fields of Women campaign places hundreds of hot pink lady silhouettes in prominent positions throughout Australia to represent women affected by breast cancer. Full story...

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August 10 2008 UK Bogus bends nets Divers £250,000 A pair of divers swindled £250,000 (US$500,000) from the National Health Service for treating bogus cases of the bends. David Welsh, 49, and diving instructor Michael Brass, 43, are facing prison sentences after being found guilty of conspiracy to defraud the NHS and perverting the course of justice. Welsh ran the Fort Bovisand diving centre, which had its own recompression chamber. They paid strangers they met in pubs up to £200 to pose as divers who needed recompression treatment, they only needed only the real names, addresses, dates of birth and national insurance numbers of the supposed victims to work the fraud. Most had never been underwater and some could barely swim. Welsh billed National Health Trusts from all over the UK £6,500 a time for treating the 37 fake victims. The fraud was discovered when police investigated two cases of divers from Liverpool who were supposedly treated for the bends at the recompression chamber. Full story...

UK Rare corals intercepted

An illegal trade in live coral is being investigated by UK Customs officers after a steep rise in protected species being smuggled into the country.

Hundreds of corals covered by international conservation laws have been intercepted at airports en route to aquarium shops.

Demand is being driven by the fashion for “reef aquariums” and owners eager to have the rarest and most colourful specimens, even if they are endangered species.

Details of the largest live-coral consignment discovered in the UK have been revealed by Customs officers. The 350 corals and clams were discovered at Manchester airport but the seizure was kept secret while investigations were carried out.

The corals had been plundered from Indonesia’s reefs and taken to Malaysia before being flown to Britain. Customs discovered that the consignment was destined for a wholesaler and then for shops in Manchester, Cheshire, the West Midlands, Northamptonshire, Yorkshire and Scotland.

Customs officers estimated that the haul would have fetched £50,000.

The corals have now been given to London Zoo.

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