The tourism authority is investigating whether the hundreds of deckchairs and umbrellas crammed on Comino’s tiny beach have been kept within the area permitted to them.
With barely a space left to lay down a towel, the area is jam-packed with day-trippers, both Maltese and tourists.
Photos sent to The Times were forwarded to the Malta Tourism Authority, which is responsible for the enforcement of regulations about umbrellas and deckchairs on the tiny island. A spokesman said the authority was “looking into the matter with immediate effect” as Comino is a Natura 2000 protected site. At a mere 3.5 square kilometres, it has seen several enforcement notices handed down by the planning authority over recent years targeting umbrellas and sunbeds that took up premium space without permits. The problem only got worse when beach furniture was placed on the protected garigue.
Last year, the Malta Tourism Authority made a call for tenders for umbrella and sunbed concessions on the island.
An authority spokesman said that at the beginning of summer a number of information panels were installed and officials also cordoned off a sensitive area of garigue around the Blue Lagoon with wooden bollards.
“Unfortunately they have been vandalised over the past weeks,” the spokesman said.
The bollards were put down to indicate that no beach furniture was permissible in those areas. However, open space which was “not ecologically sensitive” was secured for public enjoyment, the spokesman added.
Three years ago, enforcement officials raided the beach but the attendants had been tipped off about the operation and gave them the slip.
The officials arrived ready to confiscate deckchairs and umbrellas but found nothing but a few concrete umbrella bases.
After a careful search, however, they came across more than 400 deckchairs and over 100 umbrellas hidden behind walls and trees.
These were confiscated but it was business as usual in a matter of days.