Some weeks back, this newspaper published a leader about the exploitation of Comino by the deckchair and umbrella army.
Most people agreed with what we had said, namely that enforcement officers should pay Comino, and particularly Cominotto, a visit and look into what was going on over there.
The smaller island has a tiny sandy beach, a beautiful cove that is as close to a Caribbean paradise as a Mediterranean island can get. The issue in question centred on the shameful fact that some 'businessman' had decided that he could exploit the beach and make money by packing as many umbrellas and deckchairs in as dense a formation as possible.
It simply ruined the picture. The Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa) yesterday took direct enforcement action and removed the offending deckchairs, which had been stored in a natural cave. They also removed a number of concrete blocks, which were being used to prop up parasols, from the beach.
This newspaper acknowledges that Mepa took the necessary action and we would also hope that this publication also had a hand in this.
Besides being an eyesore, the placement of these blocks, deckchairs and parasols robbed people of precious little beach space. One must not forget that people, tourists especially, have to pay a fair sum to ride the water taxi. The islands are open to all and are a public space, so why should they have to fork out more money to sit on a deckchair they might not want.
Also, it is blatantly unfair for someone to illegally occupy such a prime spot, and make money (very good money) out of it to boot. TMI lauds Mepa for striking when needed. We also now hope that the person(s) involved will also get a hefty fine to make good for the amount of money they have fleeced out of people illegally.
Thankfully, the authorities now seem to be cracking down on people who encroach on public land illegally, whether it is by placing extra tables and chairs in a square, boathouses, illegal caravans, or even street furniture.
As a people, we need to learn that we cannot simply abuse everything just to make a quick buck. Rules and regulations (which by and large Joe Public adheres to) need to be abided by all and sundry.
The excuse that a person has occupied a space illegally for 15 years just does not count in our book. Why should a person (or persons) be allowed to encroach on public land and live in a summerhouse just because they have been doing so illegally for a long time? No, this is wrong and measures such as those taken by Mepa yesterday (and on other occasions) are just the start of a long learning curve that we, as a people, need to master and quickly.
Of course, one must mention that it is not only Mepa that carries out direct action, and there are of course other departments and government bodies that do so. It is all positive and we hope to see more of it over this summer, and perhaps even more so next summer.
Finally, we offer one more suggestion on Comino. Health and Safety should get themselves over there and investigate what food is being served and whether or not it is being stored and cooked safely. We sincerely hope that this is also looked into.