We've all picked up a seashell and slipped it in a pocket as a memento of a beach vacation. But someone in the Caribbean is taking this a giant step further and stealing truckfuls of sand from the beaches that are the islands' primary tourist attraction. Ironically, it's tourism and a building boom that are creating the underlying market for the fine sand, which is used to create smooth surfaces on construction projects.
There is an ecological cost to the sand thievery. So much sand has been removed from beaches on islands like Grenada that there's no buffer zone from rough seas.
In Jamaica protected mangroves and a limestone forest no longer have protection from the elements. And on other islands over-excavation has damaged water supplies and left towns vulnerable to flooding.
One more thing to think about when you're selecting a vacation destination. And definitely don't take home any sand!
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