Comino marine conservation area proposal

Alternattiva Demokratika has proposed that the area around Comino should be declared a marine conservation area.

This would not only serve to protect the marine ecology in the area but also be an investment in the tourist industry, it said in a statement yesterday.

"We should exploit this niche market to the full especially in the light of the fact that Malta is attractive to foreign divers due to good visibility, the presence of wrecks in our seas and the competitive prices offered by Maltese diving clubs," AD said.

AD also demanded action and enforcement against those who were devastating the Maltese seabed.

"This priceless resource is being destroyed by the use of explosives for illegal fishing and by the widespread and irresponsible use of harpoons. The creation of a marine conservation area in Comino will ensure the protection of a significant area of ecological value.

"In fact the island of Comino is one of the 14 sites identified by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority. It would be good to start off by protecting those sites which best combine ecological value with good diving sites as in the case of Comino."