The Ramla l-Hamra in Gozo was one of 10 beaches awarded the Blue Flag status in 2016, while Hondoq ir-Rummien and Marsalforn Bay were awarded Beach of Quality status. There is a slight distinction between the two awards. Significant work has been carried out to achieve this status and I would like to thank all those who have worked to make this possible.
The Blue Flag is a certification provided by the Foundation for Environmental Education, that a bay, beach, marina or boating tourism operator meets the Foundation’s standards. This eco-label is trusted by millions of people around the world. These standards may be considered as stringent by some, but definitely appreciated by the users of such facilities, as it is a valid guarantee of safety, cleanliness and environmentally friendly considerations. These certifications are termed as ‘awards’ by the Foundation. By 2015, there were 4154 Blue Flag awards given to 49 countries around the world. The Blue Flag status, which started three decades ago in France, focuses on sewage treatment and bathing water quality. The European Community took the concept on board in 1987, which happened to be the European Year of the Environment. Over the years the criteria to obtain the status became stricter and more prestigious. There are 33 criteria for beaches. As from this year, boat-based tourism activities have been included in the awards. Such activities include nature enjoyment (such as whale watching and cage diving), recreational and organized fishing, and other types of chartered tours. The status implies that the operations are sustainable.
When a bay is awarded Blue Flag status, it means that it meets high standards not only in terms of water quality for swimmers, but also in terms of safety, ensuring that accidents can be avoided. In this way the bay is recognized as a safe place, not only because of the safety conditions on land but also the quality of the sea water. But other things are needed as well, such as the type of information available for swimmers, the dangers of underlying currents, the flags which indicate the strength of winds and general sea conditions, zones dedicated to swimmers and others to launch sea vessels, the ecosystems and sensitive areas in the coastal zone, and codes of conduct for the beach. Furthermore, at least five activities which revolve round environmental education need to be organized in the area. The water quality standards are incorporated in the European Union’s Water Framework Directive. No sewage or industrial waste is discharged in the vicinity which may affect the quality of the bathing water. If there are any coral reefs or environmentally sensitive ecosystem, these need to be monitored to ensure their continued health. Algae and other vegetation should actually be allowed to decay on the beach, unless of course these are very annoying.
One criterion refers to the provision of services, including toilets and access to them for disabled persons, signage, a map of the beach showing the facilities provided, safe access to the beach, and lifeguards on duty together with lifesaving and first aid equipment. Moreover, the beach area needs to be patrolled, and since there may be different users on the beach, there is a need to ensure management of these different uses (swimming, beach volleyball, boat tourism, deckchairs). Apart from such services, there is a need for environmental management, which means that a beach management committee conducts regular audits of the facilities on the beach. In the case of Ramla it is Gaia Foundation that has this role. This ensures that the beach complies with environmental regulations affecting the location, is clean, and waste bins are sufficient for the numbers of users to avoid the contents spilling over. Waste bins must have different bins for the separation of waste for recycling. No dumping of any type is permitted. Unauthorised camping and driving are not allowed. Rules regarding dogs and other animals need to be strictly enforced. Maintenance on any buildings or equipment on the beach has to be ensured. Moreover, an emergency plan needs to be in place, particularly in cases of polluting factors.
The other award of ‘beach of quality’ is awarded by the national operator, Nature Trust, to those beaches that are working to attain Blue Flag status and have already achieved 70 per cent of the criteria needed to reach Blue Flag standards.
As the above shows, there is significant work and strict conditions which need to be adhered to. All these guarantee that beaches are safe, clean and respect the environment. The award for Ramla this year came with a warning regarding substandard bins. The Ministry has taken note of this and workers from one of its departments are already working on new bins with partitions to accommodate waste separation to replace them. In the case of Marsalforn and Hondoq, there is ongoing work to ensure that the award of the Blue Flag becomes more possible in the near future.
Such an award has a positive impact on our tourism product which makes it more competitive and acts as a guarantor of quality, safety, cleanliness and environmental respect. It is also important for people who visit such places to understand and appreciate the work that maintaining a blue flag status entails and to respect the need for everyone to not only enjoy the place but also to safeguard its beauty for all visitors.
I take this opportunity to wish a Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers.
Dr Refalo is Minister for Gozo