Italy may jail tourists who steal sand from beaches

One of the beaches on the island of Sardinia

The decision comes after years of tourists visiting the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, southwest of Italy, taking home large amounts of sand and seashells as souvenirs. If tourists take, keep or sell sand, pebbles, rocks or seashells from the beach, they could be fined up to 3,000 euros, according to local authorities. If convicted of theft with the aggravating circumstance of theft of state property, they could face jail time.

Earlier this year, several tourists were caught smuggling sand, rocks and archaeological relics from the island. Authorities also reported a French tourist who was trying to take home seashells. A German family was caught carrying a kilogram of rocks from the sea. Last year, a French tourist was arrested after police found 41 kilograms of gravel and rocks in the boot of his car. He said he had taken them from Lampianu beach on the island.

"It's normal to bring souvenirs back from your trip . But bring back fridge magnets or snow globes," said one local.

Local environmental scientist Pierluigi Cocco said the theft of sand and gravel “could have serious ecological consequences.” He added that many visitors to the island take away sand, an average of 40 kilograms (88 pounds) of sand each. The island receives about a million visitors each year. If you multiply that by 5 percent of those visitors taking 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of sand home, the amount of sand lost is huge. “Over a few years, the loss of sand contributes significantly to the shrinking of the beaches,” Cocco said.

In 2021, a local environmental group estimated that at least 6 tons of sand had been stolen from the island’s beaches by mid-August. The group believes that most tourists have no ill intentions when they steal sand. They just want to take it home as a souvenir and remember their vacation. Others take the shells simply to decorate their aquariums at home. Locals hope that instead of taking sand home to remember Sardinia forever, tourists will instead keep the island in their hearts and minds.

Sardinia is one of the largest tourist islands in Italy, famous for its white sand beaches and clear blue waters. The island has a population of over 1.6 million people but welcomes 1 million visitors each year. Nearby areas to visit include Corsica, the Sicilian Peninsula, Tunisia and the Balearic Islands.

TB (according to VnExpress)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/italy-co-the-phat-tu-khach-trom-cat-bai-bien-382324.html