Tourists who pinch natural treasures from the Italian island of Sardinia are being warned they could be handed huge fines. Authorities in Sardinia are cracking down on tourists who steal from its world-renowned beaches.
Sardinia’s white sand beaches are famous, with 2,000km of coastline, sandy beaches and mountainous landscapes. Holidaymakers have been ignoring local rules over taking pocket souvenirs from pristine coastal areas.
Several visitors have been caught attempting to smuggle sand, stones, and archaeological remains off the island this year. A French tourist was intercepted as they tried to take home stalagmites and shells, while a German family was found with a kilo of stones from the seabed.
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Taking, holding or selling sand, pebbles, stones or shells from the coast or sea can lead to hefty fines of up to €3,000 (£2,500), Express reports. More severe penalties can be imposed for theft of public assets – including jail time.
Environmental scientist Pierluigi Cocco spoke out about the issue in a BBC interview following the 2019 arrest of a French couple with 14 plastic bottles filled with sand. He said: “Only a fraction of the tourists visiting Sardinia spend their time digging up to 40kg of sand each.
“But if you multiply half that amount times 5 per cent of the one million tourists per year, in a few years that would contribute significantly to the reduction of beaches.” In 2021, the advocacy group Sardinia Robbed and Plundered (Sardegna rubata e depredata) estimated at least six tonnes of sand had been taken from the island’s beaches.
Tourists do this to impress friends and preserve holiday memories, it said. A campaigner said: “Most people don’t really have a motive.
“Perhaps to arouse the envy of friends and relatives, to relive the emotion of the holiday in their drawing room, or even to decorate an aquarium.” The group added: “(Tourists are likely) trying desperately, but unfortunately in vain, to take a piece of it away [in] their hands, instead of keeping memories in memory and heart.”