Sea shell sales should be stopped

I was shocked and saddened to see a photograph published on Aug. 22, 1999 in your Spotlight section. This picture showed I. Gede Ardika, the Director General of Tourism, admiring a display of souvenirs at the Kemilau Bali (Sparkle of Bali) exhibition in Jakarta. The souvenirs which Mr. Ardika apparently found very pleasing, consisted of sea shells and dried reef fish used as decorations.

The collection and sale of these objects is one of the factors contributing to the destruction of Indonesia's coral reefs, which are disappearing at an alarming rate. Not only are these reefs and essential part of the ecosystem which sustain human and animal life in Indonesia, they are also one of the reasons tourists come to Bali and other parts of this country. Without healthy reefs, tourism based on diving, snorkeling and surfing will vanish over night. Seaside resorts will also go bankrupt as their beaches erode away, a tragedy already affecting most of South Bali. And the people throughout Indonesia who rely on coastal fishing for food and income, may face starvation, when the fish vanish for lack of their natural habitat.

It is ironic that the photo caption bore the heading Tourism promo. If the Director General of Tourism takes such obvious pleasure in this appalling exploitation of his country's endangered environment, what hope can we hold for Indonesia's future? And if a prominent newspaper "spotlights" and celebrates such environmental irresponsibility, what conclusions can we draw about the levels of environmental awareness among the country's media, as leading opinion formers?

I would like to encourage government officials and journalists to increase their awareness and understanding of the environmental issues that threaten the viability of Indonesia as a tourism destination and a place of human habitation. I would also urge them to consider legislation banning the sale of sea shells and coral.

SUSI E. JOHNSTON

Ubud, Bali