Six tumoli of agricultural land, including foreshore and salt pans at Marsaxlokk, is being offered for sale for €422,000.
According to a listing on real estate agency Frank Salt’s website, before it was pulled this afternoon, the land would be “ideal for a fish farming venture”.
The scenic stretch of land is close to St Peter’s Pool at Delimara and is described as being “set in one of the most peaceful locations on the island with amazing open sea views”.
Photos uploaded on the agency’s website show vast rocky areas, with most areas having salt pans.
The listing drew outrage on social media with users questioning the legalities of owning such land and asking whether it can be sold or developed. According to Douglas Salt, the area has been for sale for around 10 years, but the listing was withdrawn from the Frank Salt website this afternoon following protests. However, the area remains for sale.
While the land can be sold freely if privately owned, access to the foreshore must not be blocked in any way, whether the land is privately-owned or not, according to law.
Earlier this month, parliament unanimously approved the second reading of the Public Domain Bill which is aimed at protecting the national, cultural and historical heritage and defines the foreshore as up to 15 metres inland.
Among other things, the Bill empowers citizens and NGOs to recommend land and property to be listed as ‘public domain’, meaning the land could not be used for commercial reasons.
It also guarantees public access to such lands. A site would be declared as being in the public domain by parliamentary decision.
http://franksalt.com.mt/properties/405533
PN STATEMENT
In a statement, the Nationalist Party said the government should expropriate the land to ensure it was used exclusively for a public aim and would continue to be enjoyed by the people in its natural state.
The news was a clear example of how urgent the Public Domain Bill presented in Parliament by the Opposition last year was and that it should be approved by Parliament without further delay.
The aim of the Bill was to protect the natural, cultural and historical heritage for current and future generations.
The statement was signed by shadow ministers Jason Azzopardi and Marthese Portelli and spokesman Ryan Callus.
Front Ħarsien ODZ statement
Front Ħarsien ODZ said "this is a prime example of land which should form part of the public domain. The state should therefore expropriate the land accordingly, thus ensuring that it has such a status, in the interest of the common good".