The decision to lift the ban on barbecues at Għadira should not be based solely on blue flag provisions, according to environmentalist Alan Deidun.
“The issue should go beyond blue flag status. It should be about the spirit of the blue flag, which is to have a clean, accessible bay that can be enjoyed by everyone,” Prof. Deidun, a University lecturer, said.
He was reacting to the possibility that the ban on barbecues at the Mellieħa Bay, instated in 2009, could be lifted after the council said it would be issuing a by-law for public consultation on the matter in the coming weeks.
The blue flag programme does not forbid barbecues but stipulates that bays are cleaned up before 9.30am.
Prof. Deidun said that while following the provisions of the blue flag status was all well and good, the protection of bays should be based on more than the status regulations.
“We cannot be narrow-minded and accept such a situation just because the blue flag status does not restrict barbecues. There are a number of issues which have nothing to do with the barbecue set itself that would still cause great harm.”
The council would need to plan well ahead
Prof. Deidun said that this was the case in other areas where barbecues were allowed, pointing out that a lot of waste was generated when people held barbecues. Noise pollution was another issue of concern.
“It’s not the first time someone brings speakers, generators and other equipment when organising a barbecue, to the detriment of those who want to enjoy a quite evening on the beach.”
Such was the case at Għajn Tuffieħa, where barbecues are allowed, he said.
If the ban was lifted, sand sifting at the bay would also need to be more rigorous, Prof. Deidun said, something that it was both expensive and time-consuming. He said the council would need to plan well ahead if it was to ensure the process was effective.
He also questioned whether the council had the resources to carry out all the necessary checks.
Mayor John Buttigieg told this newspaper last week the council would be responsible to carry out the necessary monitoring if the ban was lifted. He said he was moving along with the public consultation as he had also been assured by Nature Trust that there would be no threat to the bay’s blue flag status.
In a reaction, Nature Trust executive president Vincent Attard said that the bay had already had waste issues in the past, even while the barbecues ban was in place, pointing out that the council would have added responsibility and costs if it intended to maintain the blue flag status standards.