The Blue Island

This publication has been edited by DG Environment and is published in all the official languages
of the European Union.

The publication is also available at the DG Environment web site for Young People and Environment :
http ://europa.eu/comm/environment/youth/index_en.html

Script : Benoît Coppée

Illustrations : Nicolas Viot
Technical production : European Service Network

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Luxembourg : Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2007

ISBN 978-92-79-05318-4

© European Communities, 2007

Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

Printed in Belgium

PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER THAT HAS BEEN AWARDED THE EU ECO-LABEL FOR GRAPHIC PAPER
(WWW.EUROPA.EU/ECOLABEL)
From the top of her favourite rock, Lila the fox gazed at
the ocean. A warm breeze ruffled her fur. “How beautiful
the sea is !” she said to herself as she watched the green
waves lapping on the white beach, with the little fishing
harbour in the distance. Every day here on Blue Island
was absolute bliss ! But suddenly, from the harbour,
came the sound of shouting. Lila pricked up her ears and
twitched her whiskers.

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 - “Cast off ! Quickly !” yelled Babou, captain of the
coastguards.
- “What’s going on ?” Tom asked Lenny the coral
fisherman.
- “Some coral thieves have been spotted near Turtle
Island !” said Lenny, looking furious. “Those people
have no respect for Nature ! They’re robbing the
ocean ! I hope the coastguards will catch them !”
- “Captain, the propeller !” shouted one of the guards.
- “What about it ?”
- “It’s got tangled in a fishing net ! We can’t start the
boat !”
- “Well untangle it then !” ordered Babou.
- “OK, but it’ll take some time” said another coastguard.

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Babou hurried over to speak to Lenny.
- “Lenny, I need your boat ! My men will join us as
soon as possible. Cast off immediately !”
The Cap Totu sped across the surface of the sea. On
board were Captain Babou, Tom and Lenny – who was
steering the boat.
- “Those thieves make me so angry !” Lenny was
shouting. “If they could they would raid every single
reef and drive the corals to extinction !”

3
 Everyone on board the Cap Totu was feeling tense.
Suddenly, as the boat rounded the corner of a creek,
Tom spotted Lila.
- “Stop, Lenny ! I want Lila to come with us !” he begged.
Lenny steered the Cap Totu close to the black rock and
Lila leaped on board.
- “Right, let’s go !” said Babou. “Every second counts !
We’ve got to catch these criminals. They take rare
and beautiful creatures from the sea and sell them
to rich collectors in faraway countries. They’ve got to
be stopped !”

4
 - “That’s where they are” said Lenny, scowling, as Turtle
island came into sight. Then he turned to Tom.
- “You see, Tom, there are rules saying what fishermen
are allowed to catch in these waters. Fishermen who
have a licence can take pieces of coral from the reef
as long as they keep to the rules. But the thieves just
ignore the rules ! They even catch animals that are in
danger of becoming extinct ! Like rare turtles...”
Tom suddenly shouted and pointed.
- “Look ! Over there ! A boat and two marker buoys.
It must be the thieves !”

5
 - “You’re right, Tom. There are two of them”
said Babou. “We’ll catch them when they
come back up to the surface”.
As Lenny steered the Cap Totu towards the
thieves’ boat, Tom looked down into the clear
water and saw, swimming beneath the boat,
several huge turtles.
- “Wow ! I’ve never seen turtles so close
up !” he said to Lenny.
- “Here’s where you’ll find the most
beautiful ones” said Lenny. “That’s
why it’s called Turtle Island”.
- “The most beautiful turtles are the
ones in greatest danger !” added
Captain Babou. “If those criminals
so much as lay a finger on a
turtle shell they won’t get away
with it ! I’ll see to that !”

6
The Cap Totu came alongside the thieves’ boat and
Captain Babou jumped on board. Tom followed him.
The boat was already loaded with boxes full of coral.
Babou was furious !
Then he spotted the thieves. “There they are !” he said.
“They’ve surfaced. Two of them, just as we suspected”.
- “And here comes the coastguards’ boat !” added Tom.
“They managed to untangle the propeller.”

7
8
Standing tall and proud, Capitain Babou called out :
- “Got you ! This is the Captain of the Coastguards
speaking. You are under arrest and your boat is
confiscated. Swim ashore and my men will pick
you up !”
Tom et Lenny tied the thieves’ boat to the Cap Totu.

9
10
The thieves had to swim to Turtle Island. Back in Lenny’s
boat Tom watched them angrily as they swam ashore.
- “I’m glad the coastguards are watching over the
treasures of the sea” he said.
Under the water, a group of turtles was swimming
slowly around the Cap Totu.
- “Just look at that !” murmured Lenny.
“It’s almost as if they were trying to thank us !”
- “They might be” answered Babou. “After all, the
coastguards are protecting them. Turtles are getting
so rare that no-one is allowed to catch them. They
can live undisturbed in the waters around Turtle
Island”.
Lenny picked up a piece of the stolen coral.
- “What a waste !” he said. “They haven’t even
bothered to collect the coral carefully. Look : it’s
broken here”.
A short distance away, on Turtle Island, the coastguards
were arresting the thieves.
- “Well, that’s put a stop to their little game” said
Babou, smiling with satisfaction.

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 - “Well done for spotting their boat, Tom” said Lenny.
“I’d like to give you a little reward.
- “What do you mean ?” asked Tom.
- “A trip to the sea bed, my lad ! You’ll love it ! Come
on : I’ll show you how to dive.”
Lenny found some fins and a mask, and Tom put them
on. What a day this was turning into !
- “You’re lucky, Tom” said Babou. “You’ll get to see the
rare and beautiful coral that the thieves wanted to
steal. Lenny collects small amounts every month.
That’s his job. He sells the coral to craftsmen on Blue
Island who make jewelry from it”.
- “He’s allowed to do that ?” asked Tom.
- “Yes” said Babou. “Coral is a natural resource and
people are allowed to use it. But there are strict rules
and the coral fishermen must have a licence”.

12
Tom dived – staying close to Lenny and carefully
following his instructions. Through his mask Tom looked
with amazement at the wonders of this underwater
world. It was the loveliest sight he had ever seen !
- “How beautiful the sea is !” he thought to himself.
“Infinitely beautiful”.

13
 Back on board the Cap Totu, Tom sat next to Lila,
feeling the warm wind blowing through his hair. Lenny
was towing the thieves’ boat and the sun was slowly
sinking towards the sea. At the back of the coastguards’
speedboat, the two coral thieves looked thoroughly
miserable. They knew what to expect on Blue Island !
As the boats came into the harbour, an extraordinary
sight greeted them.
- “Look, Lenny !” shouted Tom. “Look at all those
people ! Everyone from the village must be there !”

14
Lenny laughed.
- “Of course they are ! They’ve been watching us through
their binoculars, and you can be sure of getting a
hero’s welcome !”
As the boats arrived all the village people cheered and
clapped for Tom, Lila, Lenny and Babou. Lenny wore a
tough expression but you could tell
he was fighting back tears of joy.
Tom felt very proud. As for Lila,
she was exhausted and just lay
asleep on Tom’s knees.

15
 For days afterwards, wherever Tom and Lila went on Blue
Island, people came up to congratulate them.
On the last day of the holidays, a girl from the village
came up to Tom.
- “My name’s Fleur” she said, rather shyly. “I know
you’ve got to leave Blue Island soon. But before you
go I want to give you a present”.
She took a small box from her pocket and gave it to Tom.
When he opened it he could hardly believe his eyes.
- “A coral necklace ! Like the ones the guys wear
when they’re surfing ! Wow ! It’s brilliant !”

16
 - “My dad made it from the coral that Lenny collects”
said Fleur, smiling. “To take it back to your country
you need a special paper they call a CITES certificate.
Here it is. They’ll ask you for it at the airport”.
Tom thought for a moment.
- “So... This certificate proves the coral was collected
legally, is that it ? I see. I’ll take great care of it ! Thank
you very very much !” And he gave Fleur a hug.
Just then, Lenny arrived.
- “It’s time to pack your bags, Tom. Tomorrow you’re
going home”.

17
 The next day, Lenny drove Tom and Lila to the airport.
They were all sad to say goodbye. Tom showed his CITES
certificate to a customs officer.
- “Fine : everything’s in order” smiled the officer. “And
that’s a really cool necklace. Enjoy wearing it !”
- “Hang on !” said another customs man. “I know you !
You’re Tom ! You helped catch those coral thieves !
I saw your picture in the newspaper ! Where’s your
friend the fox ?”
Tom looked around. Lila was standing a little way off,
sniffing at a bag that a traveller had put down near
the check-in desk. She looked worried, and from her
movements Tom could tell she wanted him to come
and help.

18
 - “She’s over there” said Tom to the customs officials.
“And if I were you I would check that bag !”
The officers went to the check-in desk and one of them
opened the suspicious bag.
- “A turtle shell !” he exclaimed. “Excuse me sir, but
you cannot take a shell like this out of the country.
It is completely illegal ! I shall have to inform the
authorities. Come with me, please !”
- “Why are so many people trying to rob the planet ?”
thought Tom, sadly.

19
 The plane taking Tom and Lila home to Merlin City was
turning in a wide circle as it left Blue Island.
- “Look, Lila : that’s Turtle Island down there ! Doesn’t it
look small !”
Lila stared down at the tiny white dot in the wide blue
ocean. Tom stroked the coral necklace that Fleur had
given to him.
- “Isn’t life beautiful !” he whispered into Lila’s ear.
Down below, near the tiny white dot, three turtles were
playing in the clear ocean water. And somewhere on
Blue Island a girl looked up at the plane in the sky and
waved – a long, loving wave goodbye.

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If you have any further questions, please have a look at
the following websites :
http ://ec.europa.eu/environment/cites/home_en.htm
http ://www.eu-wildlifetrade.org/
http ://www.cites.org/

or send us an e-mail :
env-cites@ec.europa.eu

European Commission
The Blue Island
Luxembourg : Office for Official Publications of the European Communities
2007 – 20 pp. – 16.2 x 22.9 cm
ISBN 978-92-79-05318-4

Copies of this publication are available free-of-charge while stocks last from :
European Commission
Directorate-General Environment
Information Centre (BU-9 0/11)
B-1049 Brussels
Fax : 32-2 299 61 98

http ://bookshop.eu/
KH-77-07-218-EN-C