Beach concessions

Congratulations to Johnna Grech (August 20) for having had the temerity to stand up to the "beach concession operators" who lay down hundreds of empty umbrellas and deck chairs on public beaches at the crack of dawn, depriving the public of a large portion of the beach space. I personally believe that a deckchair or umbrella should first be hired and then laid down on the beach.

It would be nice if someone in authority (the Malta Environment and Planning Authority and Malta Tourism Authority) could make a public declaration on a) the rights of the public regarding access to the foreshore and b) the rights of the "beach concession operators", if any, regarding the beach itself.