Palau, the fossil dune of Cala di Trana has been damaged.

"New excavations and carvings on the 'wall of shame', at the top of the fossil dune of Cala di Trana. An area that should be fenced off and protected, yet is instead open to all forms of vandalism. Endless degradation." The Friends of Talmone and Cala di Trana, the committee that has been fighting for years to protect this prized stretch of Palau coast, denounced the incident yesterday with photos and videos.

"Appropriate measures must be taken quickly to protect this delicate dune ecosystem," is their appeal, considering not only the vandalism but also the various inappropriate behaviors that risk the degradation, if not the compromise, of the area.

Just a few days ago, the Friends of Talmone and Cala di Trana reported that the fence, built years ago by Mayor Pietro Cuccu's administration, was now quite worn. "The support posts are damaged at the base and no longer hold up. Some are completely missing, others have fallen or been torn apart by wind and storm surges, and still others, those at the base of the dune, are buried in sand. The fencing rope is worn and broken in numerous places. In some places, it has been re-tied or joined with wire or plastic cordage. However, this is not the original plant-fiber rope, which already crumbled several years ago, but a finer rope that is not suitable for fencing the dune ecosystem."

After recalling how this fossil dune, dating back to the Holocene, is literally overrun during the summer season, and how without adequate fencing and signage at the top of the dune, "hikers coming from the trail and vacationers arriving by sea in boats and dinghies trample the dune daily. Adults and adolescents roll down the slope, which they call 'the slide,' in a race toward the sea that drags with it huge quantities of sandy material, which is then dispersed during autumn storms."