I read with interest the letters regarding the application for beach enrichment at Marsalforn (The Sunday Times, October 16).

Apparently, in our genuine efforts to attract tourists, we often rush to carry out projects without proper environmental safeguards.

It is refreshing to note that architect Andrè Zammit has plunged into the fray with valid comments. I trust and hope that the Malta Environment and Planning Authority takes great care with this project.

At face value, mention of “crushed hardstone sand”, “submerged breakwater”, “groyne”, and clearing of the storm water channel give me cause for concern.

It is a known fact that coastal defences and harbour design are not artistic ventures but areas of precise scientific study by accredited professional organisations.

In the recent past, we have had several examples of ‘trial and error’ projects such as the failed attempts at providing Marsalforn with a viable breakwater.

Before attempting such a project, the sponsoring authority should, at the very least:

1. Carry out an up-to-date bathymetric survey, benthic survey (mapping out existing marine habitats) and accurate topographic survey of the harbour and storm water channel.

2. Obtain records of storm water peak outflows and statistical wave data.

3. Agree on the required desirable conditions without going to extremes. It would cost a lot of money to construct an all-weather harbour, but would be less costly to avoid beach erosion and wave overtopping of the promenade.

4. With such surveys and data, approach an authorised marine engineering laboratory to construct a computer model of the harbour and with the data supplied, get an optimised solution for positioning the various coastal defences, appropriate for the required parameters.

6. Such computer models could offer a number of solutions which could be optimised in terms of cost/benefits.

It is only then that the project could be taken in hand. Such computer analysis and, in earlier days, physical model analyses, were carried out in the case of the Marsaxlokk harbour breakwater, Mġarr harbour and more recently, the Ċirkewwa harbour extension.

I trust that similar consideration be given to this project.