AIRPORT--More than 6,000 kilograms of shells, coral, rocks and other marine materials were confiscated at Princess Juliana International Airport in 2025, prompting the Nature Foundation St. Maarten to step up efforts to discourage visitors from removing marine life and natural materials from the island.
As part of that effort, a new awareness sign has been installed in the airport’s arrival area under the Keep the Reef Off the Runway campaign, funded by the CITES Secretariat.
The campaign is intended to reach visitors from the moment they arrive, encouraging them to leave shells, coral and other marine species where they belong rather than taking them home as souvenirs.
The newly installed sign carries the message: “Our beaches are not souvenir shops.”
By placing the sign in the arrival area, the Nature Foundation hopes visitors will encounter the message before visiting the island’s beaches and coastal areas. Visitors are being encouraged to enjoy the natural environment, take photographs and create memories while leaving shells and marine organisms in their natural habitat.
The Foundation said removing shells and other marine organisms can have consequences for coastal ecosystems. Shells can provide shelter for marine organisms, contribute to natural beach processes and play an important role in maintaining coastal ecosystems.
There are also potential legal consequences associated with removing marine life.
Many of the species confiscated at the airport 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 species and marine organisms may also be protected under local legislation.
The Nature Foundation said taking marine life home as a souvenir can therefore result in legal consequences in addition to removing wildlife from its natural environment.
“We hope that the sign will serve as an early reminder that protecting St. Maarten’s natural environment is a shared responsibility,” a Nature Foundation representative said.
The Foundation said it wants visitors to understand that beaches and reefs are living ecosystems and should not be treated as places from which souvenirs can be collected.
“By reaching people when they first arrive on the island, we have an opportunity to set that message from the beginning of their visit,” the representative said.
The Nature Foundation thanked Princess Juliana International Airport and the CITES Secretariat for supporting the initiative.
