G. Geyer:

Good day Mr. Professor. I come because of our action "Protect the Maldives".

Prof. Hass:

Hello Mr Geyer. I am still interested in the Maldives and, if you liked to protect there nature, I help you be glad then the nature of the Maldives a great request for me.

G. Geyer:

At present we are still a loose interest community of Maldives fans, but we found the bordering exceeding organization "Protect the Maldives" in Hamburg at the beginning of October with members from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and also from Italy.

Prof. Hass:

I find organization whose members of almost all of Europe proceed for very good but only too bad that your organization isn't founded yet. I thought this would already be taken care! If it helps you, of course you may use my name for the action "Protect the Maldives"!

G. Geyer:

Unfortunately no but soon. I fly also to the organization foundation to Hamburg on October 4th and finally then we can appear as an organization and not as a loose group of single idealists. I have particularly proudly that the tourist strongest country Italy also is represented. Elena doesn't speak only Italian but also perfect German and if considers that from Italy come three times so many tourists than from Germany and even fourteen times so much than from Austria so I think the participation of Italy in our action "Protect the Maldives" is particularly important!

Prof. Hass:

Tell me a little about the aims of her action. What disturbs you most, what would you like to change to please the nature?

G. Geyer:

We aren't militant but we would like to draw the attention of only the many tourists how sensitive the ecosystem of the Maldives is and as they behave as environmentally harmlessly as possible on the Maldives on vacation. To this end we have written information sheets of one's own and translated into 8 languages, bound to information briefcases and now we are trying to convince not only the tourists but also the island managers and the diving bases with that. These are only 2 sides but there is this one in 8 languages!

Prof. Hass:

This is more than enough! Mr Geyer, you know Mr Erich Ritter?

G. Geyer:

Yes, but only by the hearsay. Even an article stands in the "tauchen" of September over Mr Ritter and his life with the sharks.

Prof. Hass:

Mr Ritter would like also coming soon to me and talking with me about the organization "Shark-project". Perhaps you also know the Australian diver couple this fights also for the protection of the reefs in Australia, too?

G. Geyer:

I already have heard of them but unfortenately I don't know about this two. Know Professor Hass, my Maldives homepage in the meantime, this one is probably already the biggest Maldives side of the world, keeps me already about in trot, that I have no more time at all to deal with other actions. I think it is better to concentrating me on this one as to do several things at the same time and nothing gets more perfect!

Prof. Hass:

You are quite right there. Concentrate on your homepage and the organization "Protect the Maldives"!

G. Geyer:

This is but a Fulltimejob but today was my last working day and I hope that I have as Pensionist more time for "my" Maldives.

Prof. Hass:

What do you want to reach with the tourists at all, then?.

G. Geyer:

It is actually only some points about which we would like to inform the tourists such as Cigarette ends we shouldn't "forget" this on the beach or shouldn't throw into the sea because the synthetic filters partly need rotting far more than 100 years! For a couple of years you met more and more Dhonis with a an old water bottle as an ashtray, or islands with many sand filled coconut nuts as an ashtray along the ways. We try to move peoples, that they leave her air-conditioning system leaving switched on not the whole day but that they cool the room only specifically this would be no more problem at all with today's programmable equipment anyway. The fish feedings also disturb us on some islands but we had to remove this point from our information documents on request of the Maledivian government again.

Prof. Hass:

So I find nothing bad at the couple of fish feedings actually. In comparison with the richness in fish of the oceans these couple of fish feedings are so insignificant anyway that they don't fall into the weight at all. I would find it much more important not only to inform the tourists and managers but that you show commitment also against the shark fishing and that you also seek contacts in the Maledivian population and these too more environmental awareness should stimulate.

G. Geyer:

These would we like but unfortunately, we only have very few contacts to the Maledivian population apart from the Tourism Ministry, Mr. Hassan Sobir.

Prof. Hass:

Perhaps, unfortunately I know also no longer many peoples but, if you need help, ask me perhaps I can you help a anyway.

G. Geyer:

For a couple of years on the Maldives comes the trend, away from the mass tourism and to the luxury tourism, what do you think of it?

Prof. Hass:

Against this has nothing to be objected actually, on the contrary. If everybody cannot do himself the Maldives any more comes only more the peoples this was really interested and not all that one they then simply wanted to indicate this only once to have been on the Maldives too already.

G. Geyer:

But definitely the luxury tourism loads more and more nature anyway?! Earlier there was no hot water on the islands but the water was warmed by the air in dark tanks on approximately 30° while there is a hot-water tank in every room today and the sewages of the island are warmer than early through it. The water is warmer at the housereef of the hotel-islands on an average by one degree than on the uninhabited islands and one degree more can mean already the death of many corals. 30° of water temperature still are come through but the coral bleach already permanently starts with 31° of centigrades. On many islands such as also on Maayafushi you assemble in the bath room already 2 donators for liquid soap and this isn't provably used so thriftily for a long time as conventional soap and so also load the environment. In our information sheets everything is listed, what harms nature and if every tourist would taking a couple of our tips, the nature and the coral-reef would be spared much more.

Prof. Hass:

Yes, many small things sum himself up and harms then the corals but now since I see like and for what you show commitment is I like to prepare your action help! However, I wouldn't only like to be simply a normal member in your organization (Note: then even as honorary member), but I also would like to collaborate with you. I would like that they keep me informed about your action from time to time (Note: Nothing kind than this!). I already see a little bad but if is a little too small print, then reads it to me.

G. Geyer:

Natural we want to keep you informed about our action. HThat is much more as me had hoped and I am honored to report you about PTM be able.

Prof. Hass:

Does your action only confine itself to the Maldives or do you expand your activities also into other countries?

G. Geyer:

Actually our action was brought by Maldives fans for Maldives vacationists brought into being but if contacts to other countries which have the same problems like the Maldives give up then we like to try to inform these people and to convert the thought of our action also into these countries but we don't found other countries sections ourselves of course. This year in spring we had a very interesting contact, we met the Tourism Ministry of the Seychelles, the charming Mrs Simone De Comarmond, at the "Maldivian Night" in Berlin and she was very interested in our ideas, actually almost still more as a Mr. Hassan Sobir, the Tourism Ministry of the Maldives.

Prof. Hass:

Mr Geyer I am the Maldives very concerned and I wish you much success for this action but please, report to me about it from time to time!

G. Geyer:

Mr. Professor, please might I still take a photo of you?

Prof. Hass:

With pleasure, but I also would like to have a picture of it!

G. Geyer:

Of course, I have at least a reason to disturb you here in your office again :-)