A Facebook advert for a room and caravan on a Natura 2000 site in Pembroke has prompted concerns from the Malta Rangers Unit.

The advert, published on Facebook Marketplace, described the room as "near the sea and fantastic view" and featured a photo of it, along with a caravan.

Its listed price was €200, though it was unclear whether that price was per month. 

The advert was taken down shortly after the Malta Rangers Unit (MRU) flagged it and asked Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) to investigate immediately.

When Times of Malta contacted the advertiser, they claimed the post was “a joke”.

But an MRU spokesperson told Times of Malta that they had previously filed a separate report about the caravan included in the advert.

The caravan was reported to the police in July, after it was illegally placed by the coastline of the Pembroke Natura2000 site.

An MRU spokesperson said that they feared the Natura2000 site was being exploited for short-let purposes and said they wanted the MTA to establish who owns the room and if they have the necessary permits to rent it out.

"We are simply urging the authorities to investigate," said an MRU spokesperson. “We are not saying [the room] is illegal, but the caravan they placed there indeed was.”

As of last year, caravans are only allowed to overnight in permitted areas and require a permit to do so. These permits are issued by local councils for a minimum fee of €5 per day, increasing to €10 per day in designated areas with utility services. 

The MRU spokesperson said that despite the new law, rangers were still seeing plenty of abuse by caravan owners setting up in places they are not allowed to, on public land.

"The greater concern is waste disposal and sewage disposal, since many of the caravans are placed along the coastline in non-permitted areas," said the spokesperson.