This Island Imposes Fine Of Rs 2 Lakh On Visitors For Taking Sand, Pebbles From Beach

Are you fond of taking back souvenirs from the places you have visited on a vacation? It is quite common to take back corals, pebbles and other souvenirs from beaches that we visit, but bear in mind that you will not be able to do so in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands. Instead, you will be slapped with a heavy fine if you attempt to do so. The Canary Islands is a Spanish archipelago, situated off the coast of northwestern Africa. According to a report from Birmingham Live, authorities have implemented fines ranging from Rs 13,478 to Rs 2.69 lakh for individuals caught picking sand, rocks, and stones from beaches.

Officials have stated that Lanzarote experiences the loss of tons of volcanic material from its beaches annually; while Fuerteventura’s Popcorn Beach also sees a significant loss of sand each year. The decision to levy fines is the result of a recent surge in visitor numbers to Canary Island. Due to extreme drought conditions, the Spanish island of Tenerife has declared a water emergency. The officials attribute the decrease in resources to the influx of tourists.

The fact that the majority of the items confiscated from the airports in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura cannot be used to prosecute offenders presented another challenge for the officials. The main challenge is proving that whether or not sand, stones, and pebbles have been removed from the protected areas and hence the decision to levy fines on anyone spotted removing such matter from the beaches have been imposed in order to look for a more preventive option.

Officials say that tourists take away about one ton of volcanic material from the beaches of Lanzarote island every year, causing a detrimental effect on the ecosystem of the island. Lanzarote boasts a distinctive feature, nearly one quarter of its land area, spanning 806 square km, is adorned with lava, scoria, and ashes resulting from the massive eruption of the Montañas del Fuego in the 18th century.These volcanoes have sculpted a desolate terrain of black sand which tourists are very fond of taking back home.