Swimming is presumably one of the few activities that can still be enjoyed free of charge. And “presumably” is not a word used accidentally.

Being surrounded by sea, it is obvious that fun on the beach plays a major part in our economic and social life as a nation.

But this endless resource is very delicate and unless taken care of it can end up suffocating us. It is the limited availability of suitable coastline that fuels the arguments in favour of or against beach concessions.

There is one undisputed right that should always be kept in mind when planning new developments, and that is the right of each and every citizen to have free and untrammelled access to the shore. Beach concessions can, by their very nature, hinder bathers from enjoying their right to sit, walk by the water’s edge and swim. They occupy public land to the detriment of taxpaying citizens, who have the right to enjoy the sea “presumably” without paying a cent.

But beach concessions also offer a service. They provide umbrellas, deckchairs, showers and all sorts of water sport activities, which people can and do enjoy. For tourists, beach concessions are also very useful since they don’t have all the summer gear like umbrellas and deckchairs.

It eventually boils down to striking a balance between the rights of citizens and the commercial service that other citizens want to enjoy. This delicate balance can be reached but unfortunately, in some of Malta’s beaches, concessions take on the meaning of total occupancy of the beach right up to the water’s edge.

This is wrong and the authorities should not allow this to go on. The situation has become so ridiculous in some instances that families and individuals are not allowed to set up their own umbrella on the seashore because the concessionaire claims that part of the beach as his property. This happened to us today at Little Armier where, after we had both put down our towels on the sand near these deckchairs (which were occupying nearly all the sandy part of the beach, leaving all the other families piling on top of each other), this coloured foreign person came rushing to “collect” the money for use of deckchair and umbrella. Obviously we refused, and later the owner came hurling abuse at us and threatening us in order to make us leave. Naturally we called the Police Station, and I take the opportunity to thank the constable for his understanding regarding this illegal and abusive attitude of certain owners. What irritated me was that half of these deckchairs were empty!

In today’s hectic society where comfort is sought in every possible place, beach concessions do make sense if regulated properly. When giving permission to set up beach service facilities, the government has to ensure that people who do not want to pay for swimming have the right to do so without being hassled by very unpleasant and arrogant kiosk owners.

The balance can easily be reached by giving permission for beach concessions at the far end of the beach thus ensuring that the foreshore is kept free and unencumbered. The authorities should delineate the areas occupied by the concessions in such a way that makes it possible for people to identify which areas of the beach require payment and others that are free.

Outlawing beach concessions is a draconian measure, which will irritate bathers as much as it will irritate the businessmen. On the other hand, they should not be allowed to gobble up the whole beach, which given the smallness of our sandy beaches would not take much.

Regrettably, we are not blessed with endless beaches and most of the time the ones we have are overcrowded.

Polluted waters also limit the open spaces available for swimming, which certainly doesn't help. Finding the right balance has become as important as saddling a horse before a race.

The authorities must adopt a policy common to all Malta's beach concessions. Nobody should be allowed to occupy public land illegally. We have enough of that abuse in other areas of the island. The least every taxpaying citizen expects is to continue enjoying the right to swim without having to pay for it.

Mario Scicluna

SENGLEA