Destroying nature

In these days of uncertainty we are clear about one thing: that man's blundering ways and uncompromisingly selfish behavior is leading the pack in destroying nature.

We see, as facts, the recent fires in Indonesia, the unbelievable slaughter of whales, the pitiful excuses by commercial enterprises for pursuing boating (in a tiny island state not far from here) to have "the best marina in Southeast Asia" and, last but not least, the abysmal disorder of two tankers colliding in open waters south of Singapore.

We already have Laws -- God's Laws.

And if you're a nonbeliever, then try maritime, commercial, international, criminal and civil laws, which put obligations on us to act sensibly and behave in a particular and proper manner.

As a Scuba Divemaster myself and almost a (caught) victim of the persistent dynamite fishing in Pulau Seribu (still ongoing), not to mention being present in the Persian Gulf at the time of Saddam Hussein "ace card trick" in 1991, I can only say that I hope all these clever people who show such disrespect towards nature are prepared to pay the price for such insane madness.

And as a good example of such, I was extremely pleased to read in a recent edition of The Jakarta Post about the jailing of two men for dynamite fishing off Sulawesi.

Well done to the authorities who made it happen.

Indonesia has many beautiful reefs which bring tourists and foreign currency to this country. And as a "Reef Check" diver, I can assure you they are going downhill at a rapid rate.

COWLEY DONALD G.

Jakarta