Ivan Camilleri
Maltese beaches among the best in Europe
Bathing water in Malta is of a high quality with beaches and swimming spots placing among the best in Europe in terms of cleanliness and hygiene standards.
The annual EU Bathing Water report, which measures the quality of bathing water in coastal areas and along rivers and lakes in all member states, saw Malta scoring a compliance rate of 98.9 per cent. This means the island managed to surpass the average EU performance, which last year stood at 96 per cent, according to the report released yesterday.
Of the 87 coastal bathing areas monitored by Maltese authorities last year, Armier Bay was the only one that did not meet the required standards due to "surface-active substances" emerging from sewage overflow. The remaining 86 bathing areas got a clean bill of health and reached the highest hygiene standards required by the EU's Bathing Water Directive.
With such a high compliance, Malta last year achieved the best result since its bathing waters started being measured along EU standards in 2004.
In its first year as a member state, in 2005, Malta got the worst result and just 40.2 per cent of its bathing areas met the standards. Since then, Malta managed to improve its performance every year, achieving its best result in 2008.
"Malta has made remarkable progress in this area since joining the EU," an EU official said yesterday. "This is definitely a direct result of the €78 million investment being made by the EU and the Maltese authorities' decision to start treating sewage before dumping it into the sea."
The report indicated that Malta had to work harder as one of its main tourism rivals in the Mediterranean, Cyprus, had already reached 100 per cent compliance, placing as the country with the best waters in the EU.
Neighbouring Italy has the worst record among the 27 member states, reaching just 92.8 per cent compliance.
The Bathing Water Directive obliges member states to monitor all zones where bathing is explicitly authorised or where bathing is traditionally practised by a large number of swimmers and is not prohibited.
To determine their quality, the waters are tested against a number of physical, chemical and microbiological parameters for which the directive sets out mandatory values.
Member states must comply with the mandatory values but may also adopt the stricter standards and non-binding guide values.
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Lawrence Fenech
May 23rd, 15:35
@Ivan.
You have been sunbathing in the wrong beaches, try the sandy/rockey/algae all at one go beaches in Gozo.
George Vella
Jun 16th 2009, 06:25
I believe that the heading of this report is very misleading, to say the least!! Just because the bathing water is of the highest quality, according to the report, does not mean that our beaches are among the best in Europe. What nonsense. The water is the water and the beach is the beach, period. I invite the authorities concerned to come over to Marsalforn bay and Qbajjar bay, just for starters, and see for themselves with their own eyes, and not by reading reports, the state of these beaches and then compare them with the Cyprus beaches, Sicily etc. If they still agree with this heading, then I am the President of the United States
r ferriggi
Jun 12th 2009, 17:07
in agreement to comments below :
the area of dwejra and the blue hole is full of small trash.
ghadira becomes a yellow lake - toilet. smell included.
that leaves ramla hamra and golden bay,,, maybe??
of course,,,, this is not the authorities fault but the general public's disregard.
but the coast and shore have also to be considered!!!!
v.pulis
Jun 12th 2009, 15:36
Does this report study just the water or is the sand tested as well? beaches are made up of water AND sand and I suspect that the sand on our beaches leaves a lot to be desired.
Wilfred L Camilleri
Jun 12th 2009, 14:39
It's too bad the report did not touch on the state of the shore areas boardering the beaches. A beach is more than the water but includes the sandy areas and surrounding shoreline. Cigarette butts, trash left by beach goers and late night barbeque gatherings, excessive encroachment by beach concessions with their umbrellas and chairs, etc. make for an unpleasant visit at times. The beaches should be combed daily early in the morning and more trash cans should be made available. Beach concessions should be restricted to an appropriate percentage of available beach area. If this is done, Malta's beaches will then be the best in the world.
r ferriggi
Jun 12th 2009, 12:06
EXCUSE ME,,,,,,,,,,, have the tests also included some of the beaches in sicily?!??
or at least,,,,,, have these persons EVER visited them??
i doubt it very much.
for one - the sea in ghadira in summer is literally ''a toilet''. i know what i am saying.
excuse me,,,, which are the beaches tested? so we can use them??
J. Borg
Jun 12th 2009, 11:02
Hogwash!
Why not compare with the "quality" of the beaches compared to a decade or more ago?
A couple more fish farms and yacht marinas is all we need
Not to mention the drainage treatment plant which still oozes sewage in the sea and water table!
Carmel Camilleri
Jun 12th 2009, 10:51
I'm quite surprised with the compliance rate reached. Perhaps they didn't visit the two beaches of Marsalforn and Qbajjar in Gozo where clean pebbles have disappeared and replaced by a layer of dark grey dust which certainly doesn't qualify as sand. In between these two beaches a once pristinely kept promenade is now a mass of overgrown weeds, along dimly lit walkways, (electricity poles holding 3 bulbs were actually shorn of 2 of them!) with bare concrete floors in children's playing areas, bereft of soft padding, and a mosquito infested mud pool for a fountain. A once thriving kiosk , the only one in the area offering refreshments, is now in a dilapidated state, closed for 4 years now for reasons unexplaned.
MARK MIFSUD BONNICI
Jun 12th 2009, 10:31
It would be interesting to know which areas have been tested.
What about the Balluta area, Exiles beach, St Paul's bay, Qalet Marku, Xghajra, Marsalforn, San Blas ETC.ETC.
Can the report publish readings for these areas too!
It comes as no surprise that people flock to the same few beaches.
Also what does the report say about the boat people that find no problem in pumping excrement meters away from swimmers.
"Maltese Beaches amongst the best in Europe" what a joke. the person stating this must have never gone further than his bath for a swim.
Stop fooling people with such nonsense. We all have eyes you know!!!