Moviment Graffitti demands the government take urgent action to return the Blue Lagoon in Comino to the public and stop deckchair vendors from covering the entire shoreline with deckchairs and umbrellas.
The island of Comino should be an unspoiled paradise, free from the overcrowding, overdevelopment and environmental destruction that plague the rest of the country.
Instead, it has been turned into a Wild West where lawlessness and greed reign supreme.
This summer, we intend to highlight the many issues related to Comino, starting with the ongoing theft of public space at the Blue Lagoon – one of the most beautiful places in Malta and a Natura 2000 site – by private operators who treat the shoreline as their own personal beach lido.
A recent trip to the Blue Lagoon revealed that last year’s parliamentary petition to bring these operators to heel, which was signed by hundreds of people, has fallen on deaf ears. Once again, deckchair vendors cover every inch of the shoreline with deckchairs and umbrellas from the crack of dawn, making it practically impossible to enjoy this national treasure unless you pay €12.50 per person.
Anyone assertive enough to move the deckchairs aside, as is their right, is met with verbal aggression and intimidation.
The situation is further aggravated by catamarans visiting the island and dropping off hundreds of tourists a day, leading to large amounts of rubbish being thrown on the nearby garigue, as well as thumping music coming from around six food trucks.
In the short term, we demand that the Government finally reins in the operators so everyone can enjoy Blue Lagoon. In the longer term, we believe a policy is needed to regulate all activities on the island.
Il-Moviment Graffitti qed isejjaħ biex il-gvern jieħu azzjoni urġenti biex il-Blue Lagoon f’Kemmuna tingħata lura lill-pubbliku u biex iwaqqaf lil dawk li jikru d-deckchairs milli jiksu x-xatt kollu bid-deckchairs u l-umbrelel.
Il-gżira ta’ Kemmuna għandha tkun ġenna tal-art mhux mittiefsa, ħielsa mill-folol, mill-iżvilupp estrem u mill-qerda ambjentali li qed joħonqu l-bqija tal-pajjiż.
Minflok, ġabuha qisha l-Wild West fejn il-ksur tal-liġi u r-regħba jirrenjaw bil-kbir.
Dan is-sajf biħsiebna niġbdu l-attenzjoni fuq diversi kwistjonijiet marbutin ma’ Kemmuna, u ħa nibdew bis-serq tal-ispazju pubbliku fil-Blue Lagoon – wieħed mill-isbaħ postijiet f’Malta u sit tan-Natura 2000 – minn operaturi privati li mingħalihom li x-xatt huwa tagħhom personali u jistgħu jagħmlu bih li jridu.
Żjara riċenti fil-Blue Lagoon uriet li l-petizzjoni parlamentari li saret is-sena l-oħra biex tittieħed azzjoni kontra dawn l-operaturi, u li kienet iffirmata minn mijiet ta’ nies, waqgħet fuq widnejn torox. Għal darb’oħra, dawn l-operaturi privati qegħdin jiksu kull pulzier tax-xatt bid-deckchairs u l-umbrelel minn kif jisbaħ, bil-konsegwenza li ma tistax tgawdi dan it-teżor nazzjonali sakemm ma tħallasx €12.50.
Jekk persuna tkun assertiva biżżejjed li tressaq deckchair biex ikollha post fuq ix-xatt, kif għandha dritt li tagħmel, tispiċċa aggredita u intimidata.
Is-sitwazzjoni tkompli tiggrava bil-katamarani li jżuru l-gżira ta’ kuljum u li jieħdu mijiet ta’ turisti Kemmuna, bil-konsegwenza li ammont kbir ta’ skart qiegħed jintrema fuq ix-xagħri, kif ukoll b’mużika storbjuża ġejja minn madwar il-gabbani tal-ikel.
Fl-immedjat, qegħdin insejħu lill-Gvern biex fl-aħħar verament jieħu azzjoni biex irażżan lil dawn l-operaturi biex b’hekk kulħadd ikun jista’ jgawdi l-Blue Lagoon. Bħala mira iktar fit-tul, nemmnu li hemm bżonn ta’ policy biex tirregola l-attivitajiet fuq il-gżira.
