Aruba recently celebrated a national holiday in which Aruba’s rich culture is celebrated, specifically on this day the flag and hymn of our Island is celebrated.
As part of the celebration many people and organizations on the Island put on display many collections and art exhibitions for visitors and the community of Aruba to see and admire, but also learn about Aruba’s culture and little details that we may not notice of our Island at first glance.
One of these people is Lourdes Krozendijk, who on that special day put on display her wonderful and extensive collection of sea shells. She had a collection that varied in sizes, shapes, color and showed all the life and character of our beautiful beaches. She was visited by the Minister of Culture who thanked her for the exhibition and for the explanation she provided about her collection, which started more than 25 years ago.
We’d like to take this chance to remind our visitors that conform the international treaty of CITES and our local law which protects our Flora & Fauna, it is completetly prohibited to take any seashell, sand and coral outside of Aruba. This is in order to protect our environment. The high amount of seashell, sand and corals confiscated is very strange and it is suspected that our own locals may be the ones selling these to the tourists, which is unacceptable.
Upon confiscation at the airport the tourist also faces a fine that they have to pay before leaving. This is surely not a pleasant experience for the tourist. This also leads to a negative reaction which can put our tourism in a negative light.
Let’s all give nature the respect it deserves by protecting our environment. Do not purchase seashells, white sand and corals that any local collects from our shores to sell these to our tourists, and do not collect this yourself to take home. Lourdes gives a beautiful example of what we as locals can accomplish if we protect our Island and the beautiful nature it provides for us and the beauty that our visitors can share with their loved ones if you help us locals protect it too.
We want our future generations and visitors to enjoy the beauty of our beaches, shells and corals. Let’s all protect what is ours!
