Tourist city to hand out $1,100 fines for urinating in the sea

Officials in a Spanish city will slap beachgoers who urinate in the sea with hefty fines.

Officials in the coastal city of Vigo in north-western Spain's Galicia region have ruled that urinating "in the sea or on the beach" is now a punishable offence.

The city council has classified the age-old practice as a minor infraction and an infringement of hygiene and sanitary regulations.

It's a fine that could prove divisive with visitors. .Source: Newsflash/ Australscope

To combat the habit, the city council has said it plans to install public toilets on beaches during the high season.

And if anyone is caught relieving themselves elsewhere, they face a fine of up to a whopping €750 (A$1,126).

Officials are also said to be considering sanctions for other bad habits, such as using soap in the sea, leaving rubbish on the sand, or taking barbecues or gas cylinders to the beach.

The municipality of Vigo includes the Cies Islands, which, in turn, include Rodas Beach, which was once named by The Guardian as "the best beach in the world".

The Cies Islands archipelago was declared a Nature Reserve in 1980. The islands are also included in the Natura 2000 network of nature protection areas of the European Union.

There are 47 coves and beaches within the Vigo municipal limits.

It is not clear how law enforcement officers will know if someone has urinated in the sea, but they may be on the lookout for people who enter the water up to their waist.

- Australscope/ Newsflash

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