Having spent an exceptionally enjoyable weekend in Comino, I realised the Blue Lagoon’s natural beauty is second to none.
Recently, it was reported there are problems there because of the umbrellas. In my opinion, this is just skimming the surface of the problem. Too many people visit an area that needs investment to cope with the big volume of visitors.
Perhaps the public, NGOs and the authorities could consider the following points, which can form part of a master plan for the island.
The Blue Lagoon and its shores should be declared public domain. Areas around the shore can be levelled with cement where people can stay. Ideally, money permitting, the cement would be covered with 30cm x 30cm parquet or plastic tiles to give it that little upmarket touch.
One could also study the possibility of placing onshore some of the sand on the seabed, thus creating a small sandy beach.
An area the size of a tennis court could be landscaped so it could also be used by visitors. Part of it could be allocated to umbrella rental operators and the other part open to the public. I am thinking of the area behind the lifeguards.
More stairs should be installed and replaced every three years, because they start to look shabby. It is presently very dangerous to walk past the food-ice-cream-souvenir stalls.
Surely, some safety railings can be installed before an accident occurs.
Pleasure boats bring over thousands of people to enjoy the natural beauty. They come and go throughout the day, in the process polluting the sea, with hundreds of bathers swimming a few metres away.
When an appropriate road network is in place, individuals will be able to enjoy the island throughout all four seasons
In the short term, it may not be economically viable to switch to electric power boats. So until that day arrives, either no boat movement should be allowed bet-ween, say, 10am and 2pm, or those who wish to retain their itinerary should anchor further away from the sandy lagoon and customers can then be transported to shore by smaller, non-polluting boats.
Renewable energy/LED lighting should be introduced along the pathways. There are a number of top-class light engineers, and I am sure they can come up with some exceptional designs.
There is an urgent need to construct more public conveniences and, possibly, some public showers, which bathers can pay a fee to use.
The police station is located at Santa Maria Bay, which only welcomes a fraction of those visiting Comino. There should be a police presence at the Blue Lagoon.
The few ‘roads’ connecting the Blue Lagoon to the hotel, to the Comino tower and to Santa Maria Bay are anything but.
One first sees a cloud of dust, then hears the noise of the vehicles that suffer terribly as they make their way along, and finally, the vehicle is visible. An adequate road network is called for.
The island is out of reach for citizens with special needs. It is impossible for a wheelchair (or a pushchair) to be used.
When an appropriate road network is in place, walks or bike rides could start to be held (as traffic is practically non-existent).
This change could also lead individuals to be able to enjoy the island throughout all four seasons.
There is a camping site at Santa Maria Bay. An upgrade with modern facilities should improve the area. The camping site can perhaps be extended with some mobile cabins. To eliminate the danger of having buildings erected sporadically, the authorities must adhere to a strict policy of non-construction from day one.
Perhaps some trees could be planted in some areas of Comino.
All the above, of course, comes at a cost. Thus, similar to the €1 hotel night eco tax, a 50c eco tax could be introduced on all pleasure cruise tickets to recoup some of the expenses incurred.
Antoine Attard is a banker with a personal interest in sustainable growth, particularly in the services industries.