Who owns the beaches?

Reference is made to the complaint raised by Mr Piero Selvaggi concerning beach space being occupied by vacant deck chairs and umbrellas (The Sunday Times, August 10).

Mr Selvaggi is not alone in his disappointment at the state of things on our sandy beaches in Mellieha. In fact your readers, and particularly Mr Selvaggi, may be interested to know that I too had already written to you a few years back voicing, more or less, the same grievance. On that occasion, I was very pleased to note that you had taken up the matter and immediately contacted the relevant authorities (i.e. Commissioner of Police, Mellieha and Qawra police stations, as well as the Tourism Authority - then known as NTOM).

You had subsequently received a letter from Mr Francis Albani of the Department of Tourism who had informed you that, following their own enquiries, it resulted that: "The Department has been informed that the kiosks or establishments that had been granted permission to hire out umbrellas and sunbeds have absolutely no right to occupy beach space by placing the umbrellas or sunbeds on the beach prior to their rental. An umbrella or sunbed can only be placed on the beach when it has been rented and should otherwise be stored within the premises renting these facilities."

Regrettably, I do not have a copy of the whole page of the relevant Sunday Times issue and, therefore, I cannot quote you the exact date. However, if it may be of help, I am herewith enclosing a photocopy of the reply as featured in that issue.

Despite the above, it is plain for all to see that matters have not changed at all since then. I would even go as far as to say that the situation nowadays is worse than ever! The sandy beach in Mellieha is still occupied by rows and rows of unused umbrellas and empty sunbeds, making it ever so difficult for any Maltese to find some decent space on this public beach.

Your reply to Mr Selvaggi in last week's issue of The Sunday Times advises anyone who is faced with such a situation to report the matter to the nearest police station. It appears that Inspectors Joseph Mercieca and Kenneth Haber have been quite co-operative in helping you out with your inquiries.

While thanking them for their valued co-operation, please allow me to ask them to monitor the situation closely and ensure that any reports they receive are dealt with as efficiently as they have handled your enquiry. It is terribly frustrating to see these injustices occurring without anything being done to rectify matters. (Victor Farrugia)

I encourage bathers to be assertive and to report any abuses. Ghadira bathers can report abuses to Mellieha police station, tel: 2152-3457. Gnejna, Golden Bay, and Ghajn Tuffieha bathers can report abuses to Mgarr police station, tel: 2157-3422.

I must also encourage bathers who get involved in any incidents worth sharing with fellow consumers to write to me. Indeed, in view of the seasonal nature of this issue, and since we are approaching the end of summer, we will make an exception by accepting e-mails on this hot issue so that we can share such incidents next Sunday.