This morning, Moviment Graffitti is carrying out an action that should have been taken a long time ago by the authorities – that of peacefully removing deckchairs and umbrellas from the Blue Lagoon in Comino.

These deckchairs are placed on every inch of the shoreline – jetty, beaches and rocks – before the first tourist boats arrive, by private vendors who treat the Blue Lagoon as their own personal beach lido.

Many Maltese say they never visit Comino because of this. This should not happen. The Blue Lagoon is a public area that should be free for everyone; residents and tourists alike, to enjoy without being coerced into paying for something they do not want.

We decided to take the matter into our own hands after Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo once again kicked the can down the road when he promised to crack down on deckchair vendors but failed to specify how or when.

Moviment Graffitti did not want the issue to be swept under the carpet for yet another summer and so we took direct action.

Earlier this week, Movement Graffitti wrote an open letter to five ministers outlining six demands related to Blue Lagoon and Comino as a whole:

1. Sunbeds and umbrellas should only be rented out on request by persons physically present at the beach and should never occupy more than a stipulated percentage of the beach so as to ensure that public access and enjoyment of the bay and the foreshore is left unencumbered, in conformity with the Public Domain Act. This number should form part of a policy document for Comino in keeping with the recommendations of ERA’s Comino Management Plan (2019).

2. The number and size of kiosks around the beach should be far more limited to prevent congestion and over-commercialisation of the area and must form part of a policy document for Comino, also in keeping with the recommendations of the Comino Management Plan. It must be urgently ensured that kiosks sell drinks in biodegradable material and that straws are also biodegradable.

3. Any commercial activity around Blue Lagoon must operate on the basis of permits issued by the government which cover a financial contribution for the upkeep of the bay. Commercial operators that do not abide by established rules should see their permits revoked.

4. Government must take urgent action to ensure the upkeep and proper patrolling of the island of Comino including but not only distributing rubbish bins in appropriate areas and making sure rangers have the authority to enforce the rules in place. Rubbish should also be collected at the end of each day.

5. Urgently abolish music from kiosks and boats and loud generators.

6. Urgently launch work on a policy document for Comino which includes carrying capacity in keeping with the recommendations of the Comino Management Plan. This policy must prohibit large ferries (such as catamarans) from entering Blue Lagoon and place a limit on the amount of ferries that can daily enter the bay.

Predictably, these demands have so far been met with silence.

The lawlessness in the Blue Lagoon area is by no means the only issue that needs urgent attention in Comino. Also of concern is the way that the Hili Group has completely closed off access to San Niklaw Bay with gates and fences. We would like to remind everyone that according to Maltese law, the first 15 metres of shoreline are considered public domain.

If these issues are not resolved, we will be back.

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Il-Moviment Graffitti jwettaq azzjoni diretta fil-Blue Lagoon

Dalgħodu l-Moviment Graffitti qiegħed jagħmel biċċa xogħol li suppost ilha li saret mill-awtoritajiet – li b’mod paċifiku jneħħi d-deckchairs u l-umbrelel minn Blue Lagoon f’Kemmuna.

Dawn id-deckchairs jarmawhom operaturi privati f’kull qatra spazju li jsibu mal-kosta, fuq ir-ramliet, il-blat, is-simenta, saħansitra qabel ma jaslu l-ewwel turisti bid-dgħajjes. Blue Lagoon għamluh il-lido privat tagħhom.

Ħafna Maltin jistqarru li ma jersqux lejn Kemmuna minħabba f’dan il-fatt. Dan m’għandux ikun. Il-Blue Lagoon huwa spazju pubbliku u għandu jitgawda b’xejn minn kulħadd, kemm residenti kif ukoll turisti, u mingħajr ma jiġu sfurzati jħallsu għal dak li ma jridux.

La l-Ministru tat-Turiżmu Clayton Bartolo ma speċifikax meta jew kif se jieħu kontroll tas-sitwazzjoni, qegħdin neħduha f’idejna aħna.

Ma jistax ikun li wasal sajf ieħor u l-problema qegħdin jerġgħu jwaddbuha taħt it-tapit. Huwa għalhekk li l-Moviment Graffitti qiegħed hawn iwettaq din l-azzjoni diretta.

Kmieni din il-ġimgħa l-Moviment Graffitti wassal ittra lil ħames ministri fejn enfasiza sitt talbiet fir-rigward tal-Blue Lagoon u Kemmuna:

1. Umbrelel u deckchairs għandhom jinkrew biss lil nies li jinsabu fiżikament fuq il-post. L-umbrelel u d-deckchairs tal-kumpaniji privati m’għandhom qatt jokkupaw iktar minn perċentwal stipulat sabiex l-aċċess u t-tgawdija tal-kosta ma jixxekklux, f’konformità mal-Att dwar id-Dominju Pubbliku. Dan il-perċentwal għandu jiġu stipulat f’dokument ta’ politika għal Kemmuna wara li jkunu saru l-istudji kollha u skont ir-rakkomandazzjoni tal-Pjan ta’ Ġestjoni għal Kemmuna tal-ERA (2019).

2. In-numru u d-daqs ta’ kjoskijiet madwar il-bajja għandu jkun ferm inqas minn dak preżenti u għandu jiġi stipulat f’dokument ta’ politika għal Kemmuna sabiex neliminaw il-konġestjoni u l-kummerċjalizzazzjoni żejda taż-żona, skont ir-rakkomandazzjoni tal-Pjan ta’ Ġestjoni għal Kemmuna. Fir-rigward tal-bejgħ mill-kjoskijiet, huwa urġenti li t-tazzi kollha jkunu magħmula minn plastik li jista’ jerġa jintuża u straws bijodegradabbli.

3. Kwalunkwe attività kummerċjali fil-bajja tal-Blue Lagoon għandha topera skont permess li jinħareġ mill-gvern u li jinkludi kontribut finanzjarju li jmur lejn iż-żamma tal-bajja. Kwalunkwe attività kummerċjali li ma timxix mar-regoli għandu jitteħdilha l-permess li topera.

4. Il-gvern għandu jieħu azzjoni urġenti favur iż-żamma tal-bajja bħal pereżempju billi jiżgura li hemm biżżejjed bins għall-iskart u li ż-żibel jinġabar ma’ kull tmiem il-jum. Iż-żamma tal-bajja għandha tqis ukoll li jkun hemm biżżejjed gwardjani li jħarsu lill-gżira u jkollhom l-awtorità jinfurzaw ir-regoli.

5. Il-mużika mill-kjoskijiet u d-dgħajjes, u l-generators storbjużi għandhom jiġu projbiti immedjatament.

6. Għandha tibda ħidma immedjata fuq dokument ta’ politika għal Kemmuna li jiġbor fih ukoll l-ammont ta’ nies li tista’ tilqa’ din il-bajja skont ir-rakkomandazzjoni tal-Pjan ta’ Ġestjoni għal Kemmuna. Din il-politika għandha tipprojbixxi laneċ kbar (bħal katamarani) milli jidħlu fil-Blue Lagoon u tpoġġi limitu fuq in-numru ta’ laneċ li jistgħu jidħlu kuljum.

It-talbiet tagħna ntlaqgħu b’silenzju.

Is-sitwazzjoni ta’ ksur fil-beraħ tal-liġi fi Blue Lagoon mhijiex l-uniku waħda li titlob azzjoni immedjata f’Kemmuna. Il-Hili Group għalqu l-aċċess għall-bajja ta’ San Niklaw bil-gradilji. Nixtiequ niġbdu l-attenzjoni tal-pubbliku li skont il-liġi ta’ Malta, l-ewwel 15-il metru mill-kosta huma dejjem spazju pubbliku.

Jekk dawn il-problemi ma jiġux indirizzati, ser terġgħu tarawna hawn.