A man interrupted a government event on Thursday to demand answers from three ministers over plans for a yacht marina in Marsascala, but was none the wiser with the replies he was given.

"Are you going to fill everywhere with yachts?" the visibly frustrated asked ministers at the end of a press conference on urban greening in Żabbar.

He also wanted to know whether the government would ignore the people's protests and forge ahead with the project. 

Plans for the yacht marina were made public in August when Transport Malta published a pre-qualification document, which included early drawings that suggested most of the bay would be taken up by pontoons and yacht facilities. 

Since then, residents of the area have held regular protests, including one last week, while environmentalists argue the project would interfere with various recreational activities.  Marsascala council has also opposed the project. 

On Thursday, the man, who was a bystander as Finance Minister Clyde Caruana, Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia and parliamentary secretary Alex Muscat announced a greening project in Żabbar. But as the event was nearing its end, the man said he had questions for the ministers. 

"Are you going to fill Marsascala with yachts, are you going to do that? Are you going to run roughshod over the people?" the man, whose name Times of Malta could not obtain, asked. 

When Caruana tried to explain he was not the minister in charge, the man was quick to add: "Yes or no? Are you going to fill Marsascala with yachts? After the election, the project will get underway. And even the Nationalists would do it...both parties want this," he claimed. PN leader Bernard Grech has voiced opposition to the project.

"It has just been announced that four companies submitted their bid for the contract and then it is up to the ministry responsible to handle that," Caruana replied. 

 

 

 

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