A fine of 1,000 euros was imposed on a Frenchman in Sardinia after his luggage was seized with a quantity of sand that he had pulled from the sea during his visit to the Italian island, according to what local authorities announced Thursday.
And forest guards at Elmas Airport, charged with protecting the coasts, seized two kilograms of beach sand inside a plastic package in the bag of the French tourist, whose identity was not revealed, according to the authorities´ statement.
The statement pointed out that "these behaviors do not only cause environmental damage, but also undermine efforts to preserve the coast for sustainable tourism development in Sardinia," according to local media.
In August 2019, a French couple was stopped in Sardinia with 40 kilograms of sand in their car while they were about to board a ship bound for the southern port city of Toulon.
For years, Sardinia has banned tourists from withdrawing sand from the beaches, which are often in the form of rice grains, and imposes severe financial fines on violators.
