Sea shell sales should be stopped

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