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Taking something back from a vacation is a great way to commemorate a wonderful trip, or to share a little piece of you trip experience with loved ones at home. However, according to experts, “authorities are cracking down” on tourists who choose to remove parts of the natural landscape to take home.
This is especially true for shells and bits of coral, depending on where you get them from.
In some countries, removing shells from the beach or coral is even illegal.
This is certainly the case in the UK where it is illegal under the Coastal Protection Act of 1949 to take any form of natural material from public beaches.
Anyone caught by authorities could be fined up to £1,000.
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In certain countries in East Asia, coral environments have deteriorated over the years due to coral poaching.
Coral poaching is the seizure of highly prized coral species from protected areas for sale.
Often people take coral for use in jewelry, which can then be sold for amounts over $1,800 (about £1,485 per gram).
Most coral colonies that are harvested take a long time to recover and the effect on the ecosystem around them can be enormous.
There is evidence that a third of coral reefs
worldwide are damaged beyond repair, and many more in critical condition and in danger.
A coral site would take a minimum of 10 years to fully recover and could even take up to 50 years to finally function in the environment as before.
According to the Hawaii government website, the collection of dead coral, coral debris, or living rock “is prohibited statewide by statutes HRS 171-58.5 and 205A-44.”
This means that even picking up a stretch of the beach would violate the local code.
Likewise, in Egypt it is illegal to take any piece of coral out of the country.
This is true even if you find him dead on the beach.
According to 203Challenges.com: “Even if you find it dead on the beach, don’t be tempted to smuggle it in your suitcase, because airport security has special software that can detect bits of coral by their shape.”
The key to understanding the rules around collecting shells, coral and pebbles from beaches is to research the laws for your specific destination.
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