Sunbed and umbrella operators at Mellieħa’s Għadira Bay are expected to meet with the government on Wednesday following bathers’ complaints that the popular beach had been completely taken over. 

Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi instructed the Malta Tourism Authority to set up the meeting, a statement issued on Wednesday morning reads.  

In recent years, beach-goers have repeatedly complained about unused sunbeds occupying seaside vantage points, having been placed there by operators as early as sunrise when the bays are close to empty.

Readers regularly complain that they are barely able to spread their beach towel on the sand, especially in the section closest to the Seabank Hotel.

Why have sunbeds taken over?

The Planning Authority and the MTA are the two entities responsible for overseeing the placing of deckchairs and sun umbrellas on the beaches.

Last year an MTA spokeswoman had told Times of Malta that the regulator was bound by contractual agreements, signed more than six years ago, that granted permits for operators to function within a given area on the beach.

The concession area, however, varied every year.

All beaches where sunbeds and umbrellas are provided are meant to be monitored daily.

Meanwhile, Dr Mizzi has pointed the finger of blame at former Nationalist minister Jason Azzopardi, accusing him of having given “shameful” concessions to beach operators just eight days before the 2013 election.

In a post on his official Facebook page, the minister said that in the last two weeks he had been approached by a number of people who complained that the popular sandy beach was “covered by umbrellas and sunbeds”, leaving little space to other bathers who did not want to make use of them.

“We investigated and discovered that in 2013, eight days before the election, former minister Jason Azzopardi gave a shameful concession to operators who could install as many umbrellas and deckchairs as they want on the country’s largest beach for 15 years”.

In a reply, also on Facebook, Dr Azzopardi said the bay had been awarded the Blue Flag in 2012 which he said proved that under his watch the beach was well-organised.  

However, since 2013 the Labour government had allowed operators to run riot, he charged.