The commission for the environment of Marsascala parish has called for embellishment works for St Thomas Bay, similar to works that have been applied to several other bays around the country.

“It would be fitting if, together with other bays, St Thomas Bay were to have Blue Flag status,” the commission said.

The work should be carried out during the winter, before the onset of another summer, so that thousands of families would not have to face the dangers that exist at present, which have been there for decades, it added.

The bay, commission head Rio Sammut said in a document, was popular with thousands of families, was known also as the Ramla taz-Zejtun and had huge touristic potential. St Thomas Bay was one of only two sandy bays within easy reach of the residents of 15 localities on the east of Malta. The other was Pretty Bay in Birzebbuga.

The shoreline between Fajtata and Munxar was utterly neglected and lay in a disastrous state. Further in, the road along the bay had caved in because of the heavy seas and has lain so for almost two years. Protruding pieces of iron by the sea were a danger to all in the vicinity, a huge slipway had been smashed to pieces and walls in the vicinity were in a terrible state of disrepair, with rubbish dumps around.

The main slipway, too, was badly scarred and damaging to boat trailers using it. Between the two slipways there was a sandy area which was heavily used by children and families. It was a pity the road leading to the bay was in such a poor state.

The commission said that under Munxar cliffs there was a steep passage, which was narrow and dangerous, leading to the sea. A gateway lay at its opening, and its owner was seeking a permit from the Malta Environment and Planning Authority to move the gateway so that access would be denied even further.

Some people had formed a committee to try to care for the bay, and organise Saturday evening Mass. They had cleaned the sandy area of the stones which spoiled it, and the sand had remained safe to use, even after three years of winter storms. The committee had some years ago also poured concrete into the potholes, at their expense. But the situation had worsened so that they could not now keep up with costs.

But there was much pollution at St Thomas Bay – if the northwest was blowing it was the smell of the recycling plant, if the wind was easterly there was the pervading smell of the tuna cages nearby, and sometimes it was the smell of the discharges of ships anchored outside for bunkering. When the wind blew easterly or north easterly, dead fish or the entrails of the large farmed tuna found their way into the bay. Sometimes there was also raw sewage from Wied Ghammieq.

The parish commission said improvements were badly needed and it hoped St Thomas Bay would not remain the black spot on the map of Malta.