Juan Ameen

Half a kilo of Maltese sand collected from a beach was recently put up for sale on eBay with a starting bid of 99p.

The item was titled “Mediterranean Sand from Malta very beautiful!!” The bid closed on 4 July.

It was not specified which beach the sand was from, and surprisingly enough, there were no bids for it.

According to the user details, the seller is Maltese who has put up a number of other items for sale including an ancient Roman tear jug dating back to 50AD and claimed to come from Eastern Europe, and various artefacts dating back to WWII.

Bidders were also offered the option to buy more sand and were told, “if you want more specify the weight”.

However, according to the Sand Preservation Act, the removal of sand from beaches is illegal.

“No person shall remove or carry away by any means of conveyance, from any beach or sea-shore or from any land or place, whether publicly or privately owned, any sand without a permit in writing by the Director of Public Works.”

According to a Malta and Environment Planning Authority (MEPA) spokesperson, there has been no official request to remove sand, let alone sell it.

Any person found guilty of a first offence is liable to pay a fine of not less than Lm20 but not exceeding Lm50.

If found guilty a second time, they are liable to pay a fine of not less than Lm50 but not exceeding Lm100 and to imprisonment for not longer than a month.

Furthermore, there is the possibility that the mode of transport, including “horse or other animal”, will also be confiscated.