The cleaning operation to remove seaweed from sandy beaches has missed the secluded Mġiebaħ Bay at Selmun this year but the authorities insist this is no oversight.

Seaweed still covers large swathes of the small beach despite the onset of August, prompting many complaints from bathers.

The cleaning operation at the start of summer had to be postponed at Mġiebaħ, according to a spokeswoman for the Infrastructure Ministry. She said the difficulty in reaching the beach by road meant that the removal of algae had to involve an Armed Forces patrol boat in a cumbersome operation.

Seaweed is brought ashore naturally but the spokeswoman said this year huge amounts remained deposited in the sea at Mġiebaħ, a phenomenon that also happened two years ago.

“We were waiting for strong winds to bring over these huge amounts ashore so that the difficult cleansing operation will happen once,” she said.