The recent decision by the Mellieħa local council to stop any barbecues on the sandy beach at Għadira is certainly welcome news for those who believe that civic awareness does not stop outside one's front door!

We need to be aware of our obligations (not just our rights) as citizens, and this includes being responsible for our actions in public areas.

While I, for one, would certainly enjoy an outdoor event such as a barbecue, I think we need to restrict these activities to areas that are not as sensitive as beaches or localities where one could harm the ecosystem or biodiversity.

Local councils around Malta and Gozo need to follow the example of Mellieħa and stop this insensitive activity but, perhaps, we ought to create new opportunities for those who would enjoy such activities - especially in the summer months.

There must be plenty of land that can be rented out for an evening to groups or families to organise such events; there needs to be an amount of control and supervision to ensure that the environment and the natural resources are not disturbed in any way, and, above all, we need to understand that any act of irresponsibility must be paid for - either as costs or as fines.

Let us make sure we enjoy the summer evenings without detracting from the attractiveness, characteristics and environment of our surroundings.

I believe that there is scope for organised and controlled activities such as barbecues to be allowed in areas that are not so sensitive or, as in the case of Għadira, areas that are part of a worldwide network of Natura 2000 sites.