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Commercially valuable sea products also provide some cash to people living on sandy islands with little or no resources, save perhaps copra from coconuts. Ujung Pandang, the capital of South Sulawesi, is the Indonesian leader in the export of sea products, shipping several thousand tons a year. These include pearl oysters, mother-of-pearl or Trochus shells, other shells and dried sea cucumbers. The sea cucumbers, or trepang, are used in Chinese soup. (See 'Trepang Fishing," page 27.)

Although collecting these animals provides necessary income to the islanders, over-harvesting by itinerant Bugis and Bajo fishermen has all but wiped out certain species in some areas. Particularly hard-hit are the giant clams (Tridacna). The meat is canned and then sold at considerable prices in East Asia. These clams used to grow in huge "fields" in the reefs of eastern Indonesia. You can now dive in the same areas and not see a single one.

Triton shells (Charonia tritonis), helmet conchs (Casts cornuta) and turban shells (Turbo marmoratus), which are sold as trinkets, have also disappeared from some areas.