It beggars’ belief that NGOs have to appeal a decision not to publish a visitor Carrying Capacity Assessment for the island of Comino.

Such a report should have been made public from the start.

Comino is a national treasure of an island. It has one of the most beautiful bays in the country, and is also a Special Area of Conservation Natura 2000 site, but over the years complaints emerged over the commercialisation of the area.

Take Blue Lagoon as an example, protests had taken place over the number of kiosks and space for deckchairs and umbrellas a few years ago. Some action was taken to move them away from the swimming area itself. But one must also take into consideration the rubbish being left behind, and also the footfall on the island, and whether it is so excessive during the summer months that it can be damaging to the island itself.

But, in order to have a clear idea of the situation there, a carrying capacity assessment is something that is needed. It is good that it was carried out, but there is no reason as to why it hasn’t been published. Why shouldn’t the people be able to read it?

Seven NGOs said that initial requests for the study's release by BirdLife Malta representatives were denied by ERA, prompting BirdLife Malta to file a Freedom of Information (FOI) request last October 2023. But NGOs said that the request was rejected as this was a reserved matter requested by the Cabinet of Ministers. The NGOs said that The Information and Data Protection Commissioner’s investigation concluded that a note from the Cabinet’s Secretary stated that this was requested by Cabinet, and that the document was lawfully exempt from being released.

Why? Why is this document being kept hidden?

Could it be because it found the number of visitors to the island is too excessive? We do not know, but the report should be published.

Should we limit the number of people accessing the island? It is a question that merits debate, but for that to happen the report needs to be made public.

The protection of Comino must be a priority. Blue Lagoon is already one of the most famous sites in Malta, but if it becomes known for being an area where people are packed together like sardines, then why would anyone want to go there?

We also need to ensure that the sheer number of boats going to the island and the number of people visiting are not causing damage to the ecology of the area. We must protect the island for many generations to come. It is not a place in which the main focus should be business or money making.

The government used to often talk about transparency, but with the number of reports or information that it kept under wraps over the years, with those relating to the film industry being one such example, one must say that it should practice what it preached.