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Resident: Tourists clearing West End’s Bottle Beach of ‘sea glass’

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Cruise ships are telling their passengers that one of the 'must see' places while visiting Dockyard is Bottle Beach, behind the government row of houses. (Photo by Akil Simmons) June 28,2012

Cruise ship visitors are raiding Ireland Island South’s Bottle Beach and removing buckets of sea glass, according to West End residents.One resident admitted taking a handful of pieces of glass from the spot and said visitors are coming to the beach en masse and stripping it of its titular glass.“Today I was sitting on a bench outside and was horrified to see two cruise ship passengers walking along with enormous plastic bags filled up to the brim with sea glass,” she told The Royal Gazette.“I was told of two tourists who went to the beach with five-gallon buckets and filled them up and took them back to the ship. I am so angry I could spit.“I am appalled. You are not allowed to take sand, shells, coral or sea fans out of Bermuda. Why allow sea glass? Once the sea glass has all gone, that’s it. It’s too terrible.”She said that when she was a child, things such as conch shells and sand dollars were in abundance around the Island, but over the years those numbers have dwindled, and she feared the same could be true with sea glass.Sea glass, which is weathered smooth by the ocean, can be found on beaches throughout the Island but is particularly common on a few smaller beaches, such as Bottle Beach. It is sometimes used to make jewellery and various decorations.The Ministry of Public Works, responsible for the Island’s parks, and the Ministry of Tourism were both contacted for this story. Neither commented by press time.

Cruise ships are telling their passengers that one of the 'must see' places while visiting Dockyard is Bottle Beach, behind the government row of houses. (Photo by Akil Simmons) June 28,2012