Moviment Graffitti has sent its second letter to five Ministers – those of tourism, of Gozo, of the environment, of lands, and of planning – regarding the situation in Comino, in particular the Blue Lagoon. In the letter, we noted that we did not receive any response to the first letter that was sent on June 6, and we expressed our regret that since then, the situation has remained completely unacceptable.
In the absence of action from the authorities, Moviment Graffitti has warned that it is ready to take direct action again to ensure that Comino is enjoyed by everyone, and its natural environment is protected.
Moviment Graffitti has always stressed that the reason for the dire situation in Blue Lagoon is the intensive commercial interests that have taken over the beach, not only deckchairs and umbrellas, but also large boats (such as catamarans) that pour in hundreds of tourists and the exaggerated number of large kiosks that create unsustainable waste and noise.
In the letter, we said that not only was this concern not recognised, but also regarding the deckchairs and umbrellas, the situation has hardly improved. When we visited Comino a few days ago, we found that only the few deckchairs on the small sandy part of the beach had been removed, while the rest of the area – on the quay, the walkway, and the other small beach – was still covered in empty deckchairs and umbrellas from early morning.
The letter also makes reference to the lies that were told in order to justify the lack of action by the authorities. Minister Clayton Bartolo stated that he does not want to comment on how the situation on Comino should be addressed because there is a committee that is working on a plan. Yet the same Minister, for two consecutive times, did not answer Parliamentary Questions about the composition and work of this committee. In fact, everything indicates that this committee – which was set up in 2017 to evaluate the Comino Management Plan of 2016, among other things – currently does not exist.
The directions that were given by the Management Plan remained on the shelf for six whole years in order not to slight the commercial interests that have hijacked this natural reserve.
The letter stresses that measures should be taken immediately to stop the damage being done and to return the beach to the people. These measures are:
- Deckchairs and umbrellas are only set up at the request of a person physically present on the spot, and AT NO TIME should they occupy more than 30% of the entire area of the Blue Lagoon
- The big boats, which take hundreds of tourists in one trip, should be prohibited from Comino.
- There should be a limit of two small kiosks, without music, in the Blue Lagoon.
- There should be a limit on the type and amount of waste generated, and this should be collected every day in the evening, so that the rats that are doing great damage to the natural environment do not continue to multiply.
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“Stennew iktar azzjonijiet diretti jekk il-Blue Lagoon jibqa’ maħtuf mill-interessi kummerċjali” – Il-Moviment Graffitti bit-tieni ittra tiegħu lil ħames Ministri
Il-Moviment Graffitti bagħat it-tieni ittra tiegħu lil ħames Ministri – tat-turiżmu, ta’ Għawdex, tal-ambjent, tal-artijiet u tal-ippjanar – dwar is-sitwazzjoni f’Kemmuna, b’mod partikolari il-Blue Lagoon. Fiha innutajna li ma rċivejna ebda tweġiba għall-ewwel ittra li ntbagħtet fis-6 ta’ Ġunju u esprimejna d-dispjaċir tagħna li minn dak iż-żmien ‘l hawn is-sitwazzjoni baqgħet waħda kompletament inaċċettabbli.
Fin-nuqqas ta’ azzjoni mill-awtoritajiet, il-Moviment Graffitti wissa li lest jerġa’ jieħu azzjoni diretta sabiex jiżgura li Kemmuna titgawda minn kulħadd u jitħares l-ambjent naturali tagħha.
Il-Moviment Graffitti dejjem saħaq li r-raġuni tas-sitwazzjoni gravi fil-Blue Lagoon hija x-xibka ta’ kummerċ intensiv li ħakmet din il-bajja, mhux id-deckchairs u l-umbrelel biss, iżda wkoll id-dgħajjes kbar (bħal katamarani) li jferrgħu mijiet ta’ turisti u n-numru esaġerat ta’ gabbani kbar li joħolqu skart u storbju insostenibbli.
Fl-ittra għidna li mhux biss dan it-tħassib ma ġiex rikonoxxut, iżda anke fir-rigward tad-deckhairs u l-umbrelel, is-sitwazzjoni qajla tjiebet. Meta erġajna żorna Kemmuna ftit tal-ġranet ilu, sibna li kienu tneħħew biss il-ftit deckhairs mill-parti żgħira ramlija, filwaqt li l-bqija taż-żona – is-simenta, il-passaġġ u l-bajja ż-żgħira l-oħra – kienu għadhom miksijin deckhairs vojta u umbrelel minn kmieni filgħodu.
L-ittra tagħmel ukoll referenza għall-gideb li ntqal sabiex tiġi ġustifikata n-nuqqas ta’ azzjoni mill-awtoritajiet. Il-Ministru Clayton Bartolo stqarr li ma jridx jikkummenta dwar kif għandha tiġi indirizzata s-sitwazzjoni f’Kemmuna għaliex hemm kumitat li qed jaħdem dwar pjan. Iżda l-istess Ministru, għal darbtejn wara xulxin, ma weġibx Mistoqsijiet Parlamentari dwar il-kompożizzjoni u x-xogħol ta’ dan il-kumitat. Filfatt kollox jindika li dan il-kumitat – li kien twaqqaf fl-2017 sabiex, fost oħrajn, jevalwa l-Pjan ta’ Ġestjoni għall-Kemmuna tal-2016 – preżentament ma jeżistix.
Id-direzzjonijiet li ngħataw mill-Pjan ta’ Ġestjoni baqgħu fuq l-ixkaffa għal sitt snin sħaħ sabiex ma jinqarsux l-interessi kummerċjali li kkapparraw din ir-riserva naturali.
L-ittra tisħaq li għandhom jittieħdu miżuri minnufih sabiex tieqaf il-ħsara li qed issir u sabiex din il-bajja terġa’ tingħata lill-poplu. Dawn il-miżuri huma:
- Deckchairs u umbrelel jintramaw biss fuq talba ta’ persuna fiżikament preżenti fuq il-post u FL-EBDA ĦIN m’għandhom jokkupaw iktar minn 30% taż-żona kollha tal-Blue Lagoon.
- Id-dgħajjes il-kbar, li jieħdu mijiet ta’ turisti f’salt wieħed, ikunu projbiti minn Kemmuna.
- Ikun hemm limitu ta’ żewġ gabbani żgħar, mingħajr daqq ta’ mużika, fil-Blue Lagoon.
- Ikun hemm limitu fuq it-tip u l-ammont ta’ skart iġġenerat, u dan jinġabar kuljum, qabel il-lejl, sabiex ma jkomplux jitkattru l-firien li qed jagħmlu ħsara kbira lill-ambjent naturali.
