06/08/2026
So far in our Green Fins Icons series, we've covered five easy tips you can follow to help protect the ocean and the marine creatures that call it home. If you missed any, scroll back through our feed to catch up!
Today's tip is about something that happens on land, but has serious consequences underwater.
💡 Tip 6: Don't buy corals or marine life as souvenirs.
It might seem like a small purchase – a piece of coral jewellery, a decorative shell, a dried seahorse in a keychain. But every sale fuels an industry that removes tonnes of marine life from reefs and coastal ecosystems every year.
Here's why it matters:
👉 Demand drives extraction. The souvenir trade isn't a byproduct of tourism, it's a business. As long as tourists keep buying, sellers keep sourcing. That means more coral broken off reefs, more shells collected before hermit crabs can use them, and more marine animals killed for display.
👉 Species play vital roles. Corals are the foundation of reef ecosystems. Shells provide homes for hermit crabs and habitat for other species. Seahorses, starfish, and other animals sold as souvenirs are often part of complex food webs that can't function properly when they're removed.
👉 Many species are protected. Buying, selling, or transporting corals, shells, and marine animals is illegal in many countries under international laws like CITES. Souvenirs made from marine life can be confiscated at customs, resulting in fines or worse.
👉 "Sustainable" claims are hard to verify. Even when sellers claim their products are ethically sourced, there's often no way to trace the supply chain. When in doubt, don't buy.
➡️ What can you do?
✅ Say no to marine life souvenirs: coral, shells, sea stars, seahorses, turtle shell products, and anything else that came from the ocean.
✅ Choose meaningful alternatives. Photos, artwork, and locally made crafts support communities without harming marine ecosystems.
✅ Speak up. Let sellers know why you're not buying. Awareness spreads. If the buying stops, so does the killing. Find a Green Fins Member: greenfins.net
