Our beaches are not souvenir shops!
A brand-new environmental awareness sign welcomes passengers on arrival at Princess Juliana Airport. As part of the “ Keep the Reef Off the Runway ” campaign, funded by the CITES Secretariat, the Nature Foundation of Sint Maarten hopes to encourage visitors to behave more responsibly: 6 , 000 kg of shells and coral were seized at the airport in 2025 !
This impressive figure is undoubtedly only a fraction of what is collected from the island’s beaches as a whole. This new sign conveys a simple message to visitors: ‘Our beaches are not souvenir shops. ’ By raising awareness as soon as people arrive on the island, the Nature Foundation hopes that visitors will understand that beaches and reefs are living ecosystems, not places to collect souvenirs. Collecting shells and other marine organisms from beaches can have consequences for coastal ecosystems. Shells can provide shelter for marine organisms, contribute to natural beach processes and play an important role in the balance of coastal ecosystems. Furthermore, many confiscated marine species are listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and are therefore subject to international trade regulations. Other marine species and organisms may also be protected by local legislation. Bringing marine organisms home as souvenirs may therefore have legal consequences, as well as contributing to the removal of wildlife from its natural habitat.
