Moviment Graffitti is warning of further action at Blue Lagoon, reiterating its call for a ban on large boats that transport hundreds of tourists to Comino every day and limiting kiosks on the island.

On June 11, Graffitti activists dismantled deckchairs and umbrellas set up in Blue Lagoon in protests against operators encroaching onto the public bay.

Two days later, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo said that no sunbeds will be allowed on the sandy beach at the lagoon. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Robert Abela claimed the authorities had succeeded in striking “the right balance” between the people’s rights and those of operators providing beach services in Comino.

Before removing the deckchairs - on June 6 - the activists had sent a letter to the authorities. However, they received no reply.

They have now sent a second letter to the Gozo, tourism, environment, lands and planning ministers warning them about further direct action if the lagoon continued to be "hijacked by commercial interests”.

They insisted Comino should be enjoyed by everyone and its natural environment be protected.

"Moviment Graffitti has always stressed that the reason for the dire situation in Blue Lagoon is the intensive commercial interests that have taken over the beach with, not only deckchairs and umbrellas but also large boats that pour in hundreds of tourists and the exaggerated number of large kiosks that create unsustainable waste and noise," the group said on Thursday.

"When we visited Comino a few days ago, we found that only the few deckchairs on the small sandy part of the beach had been removed, while the rest of the area – on the quay, the walkway, and the other small beach – was still covered in empty deckchairs and umbrellas from early morning.

In the letter, the activists refer to the lies they claim were used to justify lack of action by the authorities.

"Minister Bartolo stated that he does not want to comment on how the situation on Comino should be addressed because there is a committee that is working on a plan. Yet the same minister, for two consecutive times, did not answer Parliamentary Questions about the composition and work of this committee. In fact, everything indicates that this committee – which was set up in 2017 to evaluate the Comino Management Plan of 2016, among other things – currently does not exist."

What are activists demanding?

• Deckchairs and umbrellas are only set up at the request of a person physically present on the spot, and at no time should they occupy more than 30% of the entire area of the Blue Lagoon.
• The big boats, with a capacity of hundreds of commuters, should be prohibited from Comino.
• There should be a limit of two small kiosks, without music, in the Blue Lagoon.
• There should be a limit on the type and amount of waste generated, and this should be collected every day in the evening to ensure rats do not continue to multiply.