The hiring out of sunbeds and umbrellas on the tiny beach in Comino opposite the beautiful Blue Lagoon has been regulated through a tender awarded by the tourism authority this year.
Every summer, hundreds of tourists and Maltese flock to the Blue Lagoon to enjoy the clear blue sea there. The small beach is usually taken up by sunbeds, deckchairs and umbrellas, set up by operators, leaving no space to spread out a towel for those who do not wish to hire any beach equipment.
The site has three pending enforcement notices, issued against different operators, for illegally placing umbrellas and sunbeds without a permit. One was issued in 2008 and two last year.
A planning authority spokesman explained that a tender was issued by the Malta Tourism Authority earlier this year regulating the activity.
“The activity of operators hiring out sunbeds and umbrellas has been regulated by the tourism authority through a tender that came into force in the first week of August through an amendment in the legislation related to a development notification order,” the spokesman said.
The tender document, issued in February, was for a concession to hire out umbrellas and deckchairs at Blue Lagoon in summer. It also specified that the concession to operate “will be granted by way of an encroachment permit issued by the Commissioner of Land”.
The planning authority spokesman explained that day visitors who rented umbrellas or took their own still had to stick to the boundaries of the beach.
The spokesman pointed out that Comino, which has an area of 3.5 square kilometres, was a Natura 2000 protected site and that any beach equipment was only allowed on the seaside and not on the surrounding garigue area.
“If there is a breach, then the planning authority will investigate and take appropriate action to safeguard Comino from the placing of umbrellas and deckchairs in restricted areas,” the spokesman insisted.
Two years ago, enforcement officials raided the beach but the attendants were tipped off about the operation and gave them the slip. The officials arrived there ready to confiscate deckchairs and umbrellas but when they got there they found nothing but a few concrete umbrella bases.
After a careful search, they found over 400 deckchairs and more than 100 umbrellas hidden behind walls and trees. These were confiscated but it was business as usual in a matter of days.