It might sound strange, but it did actually happen recently, to the owner of a taverna in Heraklion, who got into trouble and paid a heavy price, for collecting his own snails to feed customers in his business.
Because he was unable to provide an invoice for the purchase of the snails, he was fined 250 euros! To some, this may sound ridiculous, but to others, it sounds petty and frustrating.
As he said himself, when speaking to Radio Kriti, the regulations say that to sell something in your taverna, you have to show where it has come from – snails are no different than a lettuce or eggs…..You must have proof of purchase.
If a business doesn’t want to purchase an item for use in their taverna or restaurant, but wants to use produce that they have picked or collected themselves, in that case, according to the tax authorities, they must issue an invoice to themselves!
When questioned about the fine that was made against the taverna, a representative of the tax department said that their staff were obliged to follow the regulations as they exist and in that case, fine the owner 250 euros!
The food regulations concerning the sale of self collected snails refer simply to the dates in which collection is permitted – 1st February until 30th June. Snails are not an endangered species, despite what some peple believe, but anyone found collecting them in the months where it is not permitted, to allow for reproduction, will also be heavily fined.