Nearly 50 bays will be reserved for swimmers and declared out of bounds for boats this summer.

Transport Malta yesterday issued a list of 48 swimmers’ zones that will come into force in phases but the majority will be launched on June 15 and remain barred to vessels until the end of September.

Included in the list is Qajjenza Bay in Birżebbuġa, which the transport watchdog declared as a designated zone this year.

Blue-flagged bays, namely Golden Sands, Fond Għadir, Qawra Point, Ċirkewwa, St George’s Bay, Buġibba perched beach and Mellieħa Bay, will be restricted to swimmers only as from tomorrow.

Blue Lagoon, in Comino, has been reserved to swimmers since May 1 and will remain so until October 15. The reserved zones will be indicated by coloured marker buoys and ropes. Several bays can be accessed from the beach through launching lanes that will also be marked by floats.

Vessels can only enter the area through such lanes.

Boats cannot be moored inside or close to the entrance of these lanes unless authorised by Transport Malta because the paths can only be used to embark or disembark passengers and by commercial and water sport vessel operators.

Transport Malta insisted that no vessel or item that could endanger the safety of bathers could be used within a swimmers’ zone.

It has installed speed marker buoys and other floats to mark hazardous reefs that could pose a potential threat to mariners at Marsalforn, Blue Lagoon, Ġnejna Bay and Għallis Rock in Qawra.