The illegal extraction of sand at one of Fiji’s heritage sites has come under the spotlight.

With the Sigatoka Sand Dunes closed to the public, Ranger Saimoni Naruma says they had found that some people were entering the premises without permission and extracting sand.

“There was an increase of illegal sand extraction at the National Park when borders were closed. The rangers had to change shifts regularly to monitor the area. There were up to four diggings discovered in a week at different spots.”

The illegal act means more work for rangers at the Park in terms of monitoring the area.

Lands Minister, Jone Usamate says any illegal extraction work is unacceptable.

“It is illegal to extract any sand without prior approval and for those found doing this, we will track them down and make sure they are punished. We also advise members of the public that if they see people doing things like that to please get in touch with the Ministry of Lands.”

With Fiji’s international borders reopening soon, Rangers are preparing the National park to ensure it’s ready for tourists.