Transport Malta’s decision to place some 300 boat moorings next to the Pretty Bay swimming zone in Birżebbuġa will jeopardise efforts to upgrade this sandy beach to Blue Flag status, the council warned yesterday.

“This will ruin one of the few remaining sandy beaches in the south,” Birżebbuġa mayor Joseph Farrugia said at a news conference.

An irate Mr Farrugia lashed out at the authorities for not consulting with the council.

The moorings are to be placed off the coast of an area known as Wied il-Buni, right next to this iconic bay.

“Unfortunately the council only learnt of this project from amateur fishermen whose association had been given a copy of the plan by Transport Malta,” Mr Farrugia said.

The mayor proposed to relocate these moorings at St George’s Bay (also in Birżebbuġa) but acknowledged that this would warrant the construction of a breakwater to shelter the boats from inclement weather. He noted that successive administrations had promised to construct such a facility but this pledge never materialised.

This will ruin one of the few remaining sandy beaches in the south

Mr Farrugia said the original idea was to relocate some 90 moorings for small boats a safe distance away from the Freeport.

However, the plan was expanded when Transport Malta issued a call for interest from boat owners wishing to have a permanent anchorage facility in this locality. Hence the project more than trebled, he said. The council has also outlined its concerns to Transport Malta’s directorate for ports and yachting.

Reacting to these claims, the transport watchdog noted that the council had not objected when the public call for these moorings had been issued.

While urging the council to come forward with feasible solutions, it noted that talks with Għaqda Sajjieda Dilettanti had been going on for two years.

It added that claims that this would hinder the process to achieve Blue Flag status for Pretty Bay were “unrealistic”, arguing that similar arrangements existed elsewhere.

Transport Malta said that an organised mooring system would allow maximum utilisation of space and manoeuvrability, while ensuring the safety of boat users and bathers.