Sardinia cracks down on tourists pilfering its sand

The variety of sand from Sardinia beaches is tempting to tourists. Photo / Twitter @Italia (Italian tourism)

A British tourist has been fined €1032 for taking sand from a beach in Sardinia as a souvenir, as the island wages a campaign against visitors denuding its picturesque bays.

In a trend that has been condemned by Sardinian politicians and environmentalists, some visitors make a habit of packing plastic bottles and bags with different coloured sand from Sardinian beaches.

The authorities say that while it may appear harmless, the phenomenon is so common that it threatens the coastal environment, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Last year around five tonnes of sand were intercepted after being pilfered by tourists.

In the latest case, the unnamed 40-year-old tourist, who is a British citizen of Italian origin, was caught by Carabinieri police in possession of a plastic bottle packed with sand taken from a beach near Olbia, in the north-east of the island.

So diffuse is the problem that the German Embassy in Rome recently told German tourists not to steal Sardinian sand.

"Sardinia has some of the most beautiful beaches in Italy, but taking sand, pebbles and shells constitutes a serious environmental problem.

"It is forbidden by law. You can be fined from €500 to €3000. Leave the sand where it should be," the embassy told its citizens on Facebook.

WWF, the environmental organisation, has launched a campaign against the practice under the slogan "Beach thieves – taking sand is theft".

Elephant beach, Spiaggia del Elefante (south of the penin) on Sardinia’s #CostaSmeralda as seen by our #Sentinel2 on 3 August. pic.twitter.com/LbgFB3Q9Ux

— Copernicus EU (@CopernicusEU) August 7, 2018

Customs officials at Sardinia's international airports, including Cagliari and Alghero, regularly check tourists' luggage for consignments of sand.

It is the variety of sand found in Sardinia that appears to be particularly tempting to tourists, with some beaches boasting silky white sand reminiscent of the South Pacific.

In the north-east, the beaches of the Maddalena archipelago are particularly stunning, with the island of Budelli famous for having sand of a distinctive pink hue.