Pelangi island plundered

Pelangi island plundered

For many years we have been going to the islands in the bay of
Jakarta, as we love snorkeling and observing the marine life at
the reefs. It can be such a breathtaking sight and it relaxes and
takes away the Jakarta stress.

Unfortunately island after island has become so polluted
through the years, and the coral reefs have been plundered by
people who believe they had the right to remove any nice piece of
coral or hunt the beautiful fish.

A few years ago we found a precious island with magnificent
coral reefs, a joy to any snorkeler, diver and marine life lover.
This was Pelangi island. We looked forward to going there at
every opportunity we had, always hoping that the beauty of those
reefs would remain unspoiled and protected, more so since this
island is part of one of the government's protected zones.

Alas, a few years ago we were aghast as we realized the reefs
were being plundered also, and in particular mollusks were being
removed in great numbers. How we admired those multicolored
shellfish living there. There were little and huge ones, a wonder
of nature encrusted in and at the base of huge corals. Then we
found many table-corals overturned, slashed and cut away so that
the plunderers were able to get at the mollusks hidden below. Now
the beautiful mollusks have disappeared. It is clear these reefs
are being regularly plundered by irresponsible elements, and
during one of our visits to the island we found the culprits.
They consist of Japanese people, who go there regularly only to
indulge in their grotesque tastes. There are those that go diving
themselves, not to admire the reefs but in order to look where
they can secure the mollusks they so crave.

Others have a standing agreement with the employees working on
the island, or with the fishermen that hire their boats to
guests. We caught one red-handed as he was carting away (with the
help of an employee) four huge mollusks to his bungalow. We spoke
to him and explained that he was ruining the reefs and breaking
the law, as these reefs were under protection. But seemingly my
words were not heeded, the normal thing with people obsessed by
abnormal appetites. We reported the case to the front office but
it seemed they politely listened and nothing else was done.

A few days ago we once again visited this little paradise,
hoping things had changed as the management of the island had
changed some time ago. Unfortunately we realized that even more
damage had been done to the reef. But most of all, we realized
that the mollusk catering service was still in full swing, and
when a group of Japanese arrived for the weekend the employees
got real busy preparing "dinner" for them. When I went for an
afternoon walk around the island (when everyone was having a
siesta) I caught two employees: one had just emptied a huge shell
of its contents and empty shells lay in the water, and another
one was collecting sea urchins, seemingly another delicacy of the
Japanese, by quartering them alive and taking out the eggs. I
have no special love for sea urchins, but the fact that they too
are turned into delicacies turned my stomach. I did lodge another
complaint with the front office, but this time I believe the
whole world should know what is going on at the reefs in the bay
of Jakarta.

Via this letter we also would like to draw the attention of
the WWF officials, to check into the matter and to exercise a
stricter control over the zones declared protected by the
Indonesian government. We saw a huge billboard on the island
seemingly placed there by your organization, so we do hope that
you are as concerned as we are.

Last but not least, we would like to ask the management of
Pelangi island to be strict with your employees and patrol the
island regularly, so that this little paradise can still be saved
from those who don't care about ecology and the beauty and purity
of nature.

YVONNE SETZEPFANDT

Jakarta