After our action to reclaim Blue Lagoon, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo announced that the operators would no longer be allowed to put deckchairs on the small beach at Blue Lagoon, and that the number of deckchairs elsewhere would be limited. A few days later, Prime Minister Robert Abela said a balance had been reached. So we decided to go back to Comino to see what this balance looks like in practice.
Watch the video.
While it’s true that there are no longer deckchairs on the beach, vendors are still putting deckchairs out before tourists arrive, both on the jetty, and the other sandy area.
Something else that is present even from early in the morning is the remains of pineapple cocktails from previous days. These can be found all over the island, together with plastic cups and other rubbish.
After a couple of hours of relative tranquillity, the large boats begin arriving and depositing hundreds of tourists onto the island. Moviment Graffitti is calling for these big boats to be banned from Comino.
While Blue Lagoon has been our main focus so far, it is by no means the only problem area of Comino. A walk along the coast reveals just how strained this little island is now, let alone if government goes ahead with plans to attract even more visitors.
Further inland, access to San Niklaw Bay has been completely blocked off by Hili Group.
Returning to Blue Lagoon in the afternoon, the need to urgently address the issue of capacity on Comino is even more obvious. Now it’s hard to even move, let alone find a place to put your towel. The many kiosks are now also in full swing, with loud music blaring from each one of them.
If this is Robert Abela’s ideal of balance, then this paradise between Malta and Gozo will be destroyed in a few years. Instead of empty words, action needs to be taken now.
“L-idea ta’ ‘bilanċ’ f’Kemmuna hija gidba” – Il-Moviment Graffitti joħroġ filmat li jiżvela s-sitwazzjoni f’Kemmuna bħalissa
Wara l-azzjoni tagħna li fiha tlabna lura l-Blue Lagoon, il-Ministru għat-Turiżmu Clayton Bartolo ħabbar li l-operaturi mhux se jibqgħu jitħallew ipoġġu deckchairs fuq il-bajja ż-żgħira tal-Blue Lagoon, u li n-numru ta’ deckchairs f’postijiet oħra se jkun limitat. Ftit jiem wara, il-Prim Ministru Robert Abela qal li ntlaħaq bilanċ. Għalhekk, iddeċidejna mmorru lura Kemmuna u naraw dal-hekk imsejjaħ ‘bilanċ’ kif jidher fil-verità.
Ara l-video.
Sibna li, għalkemm m’għadx hemm deckchairs fuq il-bajja, l-operaturi xorta għadhom qed joħorġu d-deckchairs qabel jaslu t-turisti, kemm fuq il-moll, kif ukoll f’żoni oħra bir-ramel.
Ħaġa oħra li tara anke minn kmieni filgħodu hija l-fdalijiet tal-cocktails tal-pineapples li jitħallew mill-jiem ta’ qabel. Dawn issibhom madwar il-gżira kollha, u ssib ukoll tazzi tal-plastik u żibel ieħor.
Wara ftit sigħat ta’ paċi, jibdew jaslu d-dgħajjes il-kbar li jħallu mijiet ta’ turisti fuq il-gżira. Il-Moviment Graffitti qiegħed jitlob li dad-dgħajjes kbar jiġu projbiti minn Kemmuna.
Għalkemm s’issa l-Blue Lagoon kien fiċ-ċentru tal-attenzjoni tagħna, nafu li mhuwiex l-unika żona mhedda f’Kemmuna. Mixja tul il-kosta malajr tiżvela kemm dil-gżira żgħira laħqet il-limiti tagħha, aħseb u ara f’liema stat se ssib ruħha jekk il-Gvern jibqa’ għaddej bil-pjanijiet tiegħu li jattira iżjed u iżjed nies.
Iktar ‘il ġewwa fil-gżira, l-aċċess għall-Bajja ta’ San Niklaw ġie kompletament blukkat minn Hili Group.
Fit-triqitna lura lejn il-Blue Lagoon waranofsinhar, il-bżonn li jiġi indirizzat l-ammont ta’ nies fuq il-gżira jinħass ovvju. Bħalissa anki tiċċaqlaq diffiċli, aħseb u ara kemm se ssib post biex tpoġġi xugaman. Il-ħafna gabbani li hemm jinsabu wkoll fl-aqwa tagħhom bħalissa, b’mużika tgħajjat ħierġa minn kull wieħed minnhom.
Jekk din hija l-idea li Robert Abela għandu ta’ ‘bilanċ’, dis-seħer ta’ gżira bejn Malta u Għawdex se tintilef fi ftit snin. Flok ħafna kliem fil-vojt, jeħtieġ tittieħed azzjoni mill-aktar fis possibbli.
