Sand, shells… Bringing back souvenirs from the beach can cost you dearly!

Beware of unpleasant surprises at the airport: depending on the destination, picking up sand or shells to bring back as souvenirs is punishable by a heavy fine.

Who has never brought back a bit of sand or shells from their vacation in the sun? However, be careful, bringing back this kind of ” free souvenirs ” is not without risk. And the fine can also be very steep…

Protect endangered ecosystems: do not collect souvenirs on beaches

Usually, it doesn’t occur to you to bring a protected animal back from your vacation. But It is also forbidden to return from vacation with plants or minerals. And not only in places classified as Natural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, such as the Galapagos archipelago.

Yet even there, customs officers seize pieces of coral, volcanic rock and shells taken from the wild from tourists every day to take home as holiday souvenirs. This is despite local law, which since 1999 has provided for the protection of the local ecosystem: not only heavy fines, but also prison sentences.

Further north and much cooler, Iceland also takes care to preserve its natural landscapes, between volcanic plains and nesting areas. On the island, the law simply forbids hikers and walkers, who are increasingly numerous, from bringing back with them the slightest object taken from the local nature. Even if it means checking your luggage when leaving the small airport in Reykjavik.

“Sand thieves”, criminals in Sardinia

In Sardinia, trying to bring home sand, a resource that is in danger of disappearing, or shells collected locally is considered a crime. The law now prohibits, under penalty of a heavy fine (500 to 3,000 euros!) or even arrest (and prison), bringing anything back with you. « Under the pretext of bringing back a souvenir, every year tourists take from the island what nature took millions of years to create. ” grumble the residents who have even created a Facebook page, Sardinia Stolen and Plunderedto show their “ taken » and customs.

It must be said that, on the island which welcomes more than ten million tourists per year, Customs officers at Cagliari airport seized more than a ton of sand last summer…

The beauties of Sardinia must stay in Sardinia! © gevision

And in France, what are we allowed to do? Outside of protected sites, article L321-8 of the Environmental Code regulates the collection of sand or shells. Taking a little for personal use is permitted, as long as it remains in small quantities.

However, on some beaches, it is not certain that the locals will view it in a very favourable light… especially if they find this sand for sale on the black market on eBay !

Article updated