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LOCAL Friday 21 June 2024

Aruba to me

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For today we received a
lovely message from Shikha
ORANJESTAD — You are Dixit from Washington, DC,
back and we would like to Complete the sentence: USA.
portrait you! By inviting you to Aruba to me is ……. Send ebrate my 50th birthday.” Thank you for sending us this
send us your favorite vaca- your picture with that text She wrote to us saying: “Aru- wonderful message sharing
tion picture while enjoying (including your name and ba to me is a dreamland to We wish you a very happy what Aruba means to you
our Happy Island. where you are from) to: celebrate. Here I am to Cel- birthday Shikha! with us and our readers!q

Prohibited by law: leaving the island with seashells, white sand or corals

(Oranjestad)—Often times, the customs fore leaving. This is surely not a pleasant
department at the airport intercepts many experience for the tourist. This also leads
tourists leaving the island with seashells, to a negative reaction which can put our
white sand and/or corals as souvenirs. tourism in a negative light.
Though we love to accommodate our
Conforming to the international treaty of visitors, let’s all give nature the respect it
CITES and our local law which protects deserves by protecting our environment.
our Flora & Fauna, it is absolutely prohib- Stop collecting seashells, white sand and
ited to take any seashell, sand and coral corals from our shores and stop buying or
outside of Aruba. This is to protect our en- accepting these from local sellers or com-
vironment. The high number of seashells, panies.
coral and amount of sand confiscated is
very strange and it is suspected that our We want our future generations and visitors
own locals are the ones selling these to the to enjoy the beauty of our beaches, shells
tourists, which is unacceptable. and corals in a sustainable way, without
Upon confiscation at the airport, you can destroying or disrupting the Aruban eco-
also face a fine that they have to pay be- system. Help us protect what is ours! q