Marsascala residents have again expressed themselves against a marina in the locality’s bay, hoping that the government will listen to their pleas.

On 20 January 2022, the Marsascala Local Council met with Minister Ian Borg on the issue of the yacht marina planned by Transport Malta, a Moviment Graffiti statement said.

In this meeting, Minister Borg said that he was not aware of the Local Council’s August 2021 motion against the call for investors in a yacht marina in the bay of Marsaskala, which also states that there should be no private concession for a yacht marina.

The minister, according to the statment, acknowledged that this motion categorically rejects all plans for a yacht marina and proposed that the Council discuss the motion and by mid-February reconsider to allow for a motion that does not completely exclude concession of space to the private sector. He pledged that Transport Malta would not move forward with the second phase of the process until the Local Council’s final position is made clear.

The Council met on 24 January and unanimously agreed to uphold its August motion and formally sent notice of this to Minister Borg and Transport Malta.

The motion says that “The Local Council is against the proposal for a yacht marina in Marsaskala, presented in Transport Malta’s pre-qualification document and condemns its publication without consultation with the Marsaskala community. The local council demands that this document be withdrawn immediately and that plans for a yacht marina in Marsaskala be abandoned completely. Transport Malta should launch immediate discussions with the local council, with residents of Marsaskala and with the local associations, for the organisation of existing berths, for the protection of the cultural and social customs of the locality, the protection of the marine environment and for safeguarding the swimming zones of the bay.”

In view of Minister Borg's pledge to consider the Council's position before moving on to the second phase of finding investors for the project, "we believe that the only remaining path for Minister Borg and Transport Malta is that of withdrawing the call and plans for a yacht marina in Marsaskala. The Local Council has now reiterated its position twice: it is categorically against a yacht marina in its locality’s bay", Graffitti said.

During the Local Council’s meeting with Minister Borg, he referred to the possibility that Transport Malta intervenes without private sector investment to repair the breakwaters and organize existing berths. This is in line with what the people want and what residents, fishermen, festa and firework enthusiasts and thousands of others, who have this beach at heart, have called for. We therefore call on Minister Borg to implement this proposal for a public investment in Marsaskala Bay, which will improve and not worsen people’s quality of life and public access.

Since the publication of Transport Malta's plans last August, people have made it very clear that they do not want the privatization of Marsaskala Bay. Residents and organisations representing fishermen, festa and firework enthusiasts and environmentalists have warned that Transport Malta's plans for a bay consumed by pontoons, yachts and expansive land reclamation will destroy marine life, threaten the Natura 2000 site of il-Magħluq and destroy the cultural, social and recreational activities which take place around the bay in the heart of Marsaskala.

Marsaskala residents and Maltese people have spoken very clearly: we are suffocated by unbridled development that is ruining our quality of life and our natural environment - we cannot lose bays and coasts essential to our well-being.

Now that the Minister has asked that the Council give its final position before plans for a yacht marina proceed, and the Council has upheld its first motion to categorically oppose these plans, we believe all further plans for a yacht marina must be halted and the proposal withdrawn.

Marsaskala residents have spoken. Will you listen to them or will you serve the interests of the few?, the statement concluded

 

Organisations 

Grupp tan-Nar Festa Sant'Anna Wied il-Għajn

Grupp Armar Festa Sant' Anna Wied il-Għajn

Għaqda Baħħara Sajjieda u Dilettanti Wied il-Għajn

Marsaskala Residents Network

Moviment Graffitti

Din l-Art Ħelwa

Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar

Rota

Extinction Rebellion Malta

Friends of the Earth Malta

Nature Trust Malta

Malta Youth in Agriculture (MaYA)