News | Sunday, 05 July 2009

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St Paul’s Bay council shoots down yacht marina

James Debono
A proposal by the Malta Maritime Authority to set up a temporary yacht marina for 84 berthing spaces at the Veccja in St Paul’s Bay, has been shot down by the local council.
Veccja has been identified as one of 10 sites for the development of temporary yacht marinas, that would operate between June and September.
But St Paul’s Bay mayor Graziella Galea is adamant there is no local support for the marina. “The Local Council, unanimously, did not agree to the proposals as presented by the Ministry of Infrastructure, Transport and Communications.”
The council is concerned that the proposed marina will be too close to the swimming zones. It says the marina will aggravate parking problems, and also remove boats that are already moored at the jetty.
Galea said the council is not against a yacht marina in principle, but against locating it in St Paul’s Bay.
The village’s Barracuda sports club, which organises activities for children next to the proposed marina, insists that calling such a marina temporary is a misnomer. “Nobody swims in the winter. For us the marina will be permanent as it will affect us in summer,” Edmond Bartolo, president of the sports club, told MaltaToday.
The marina is being proposed just outside two areas designated as swimming zones. But the sports club is concerned that the spillage of waste from the yachts will end up polluting the swimming areas because of the prevailing northeast winds.
Environmental NGO Din l-Art Helwa has also expressed its concern on the proposed yacht marinas. “It is not acceptable for the Malta Maritime Authority to propose the construction of seasonal yachting facilities in the close vicinity of swimming areas as this is likely to render these popular areas unsuitable for swimming due to the degradation of water quality.”

jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt

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