The St Julian’s local council and business community have welcomed plans to replenish the sandy beach at Balluta Bay once again, but urged the government to pursue a long-term approach instead of yearly top-ups.
Times of Malta reported on Wednesday that the beach extension – inaugurated last August but swept away within months – would be repeated yearly at a cost of around €80,000, with Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi arguing the cost was worthwhile for people to enjoy the beach over summer.
St Julian’s mayor Guido Dalli, asked by Times of Malta for his views, said he was pleased the project would be reinstated but raised questions about its long-term sustainability.
“The beach itself is very positive; everyone prefers having it there,” he said.
“It’s just a question of whether it makes more sense to invest in a breakwater. If they prefer to do it year by year, the council is not opposed, but we already know that the first strong grigalata [north-easterly wind] is going to carry the whole thing away.”
His views were echoed by Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association president Tony Zahra, who said businesses around the bay, which include a hotel and several bars and restaurants, had all given positive feedback about the impact of the beach last summer.
One would hope it’s not destroyed every year
“I think it’s a good idea to do it again, but obviously one would hope it’s not destroyed every year, and we should be trying to find a solution to prevent that,” he said.
The prospect of an underwater reef or wave-breaker to shield the sand from erosion has already been raised by Dr Mizzi.
He said, however, that such a project would require further study due to environmental considerations such as the presence of protected Posidonia seagrass.
Marine biologist Alan Deidun, who has studied the impact of breakwaters on Posidonia habitats for a project in Marsaxlokk, told the newspaper the effects of such a project could be significant.
“The Posidonia at Balluta seems to be in a fragmented condition due to anchoring, discharges from land and other human activities, but the fact that it is already impacted should be no excuse for cutting corners,” he said.
Prof. Deidun said breakwaters altered an underwater area’s hydrodynamic conditions – currents and water-flows – which could lead to the seagrass being “choked” beneath heavy sediment deposits.
Works, he said, could also increase water turbidity over a wide area, as well as “obliterating” anything directly below or close to the breakwater itself.
“I would urge the government not to consider a project like this without commissioning a proper hydrodynamic study, which would give a snapshot of future scenarios with a breakwater in place,” he said.