The Manoel Island issue and its implications for Gżira and beyond is a timely reminder of what is at stake in Malta's coastal zones. At its core, this is not just a planning, legal, or development issue, important as these factors are. It is also a question of who coastal spaces are for, and whose voices count in shaping their future.
Across Europe - and especially in small island states such as Malta - coastal regions are under growing strain. Climate change, biodiversity loss, overtourism, housing pressures, and rapid urban development are converging in ways that are reshaping everyday life along our shores.
The European Commission's proposed Strategy for Coastal Communities, under the European Ocean Pact, is therefore both timely and necessary. But in my view, its success will also depend on perspective: from seeing coasts primarily as economic zones, to recognising them as lived social and environmental settings.
Too often, coastal areas are framed within a particular blue economy discourse - as sites for investment, infrastructure, and growth. Needless to say, while economic activity is greatly important, this framing risks overlooking the coastal communities and places are shaped by identity, heritage, social relations, and everyday practices.
From a sociological perspective, this matters. The social in coastal community policy is as important as the economic, the infrastructural, and the environmental. Policies that prioritise growth without adequately considering social impacts can deepen inequalities, marginalise local communities, and erode social cohesion. This is why the Malta Sociological Association, in its recent feedback to the European Commission, called for Social Impact Assessment (SIA) to be embedded at the core of coastal governance.
SIA is not simply a technical tool. It is a way of asking fundamental questions: who benefits from development, who bears its costs, and what are the long-term social consequences? Without such an approach, even well-intentioned policies risk reproducing existing inequalities or generating new forms of exclusion.
This is particularly evident in Malta, where coastal zones are subject to intense and often competing pressures. Tourism expansion, real estate development, maritime infrastructure, and environmental degradation intersect in complex ways. The result is uneven: while some actors benefit, others - including small-scale fishers, long-term residents, and younger generations - face rising costs, shrinking access to space, and uncertain futures.
At the same time, Malta's coastal communities are far from uniform. Large and densely populated localities such as Sliema, St Paul's Bay, and Marsascala face challenges linked to overdevelopment and infrastructure strain. Fishing communities such as Marsaxlokk embody cultural and economic traditions that are increasingly under pressure. Smaller localities like Xgħajra encounter different dynamics related to scale and access to services. Places such as Birżebbuġa reflect complex mixes of residential, industrial, and port-related activity. Gozo, with its distinct socio-economic context, adds yet another layer to this diversity.
Recognising these differences is essential. A one-size-fits-all approach will not work. What is needed instead are place-based policies that are sensitive to local realities and grounded in community experience.
Equally important is the question of power. Coastal governance often reflects asymmetries in decision-making, where large economic actors and centralised planning frameworks hold significant influence, while local communities have limited say over developments that directly affect their lives. Strengthening participation, supporting civil society, and ensuring transparency are therefore central to democratic governance.
In a recent article (The Malta Independent, November 6, 2025) related to Malta's Vision 2050, I argued for a more "peopled" blue economy in Malta - one that places communities at its centre. The same principle applies here. Economic development must be aligned with social and environmental sustainability. Coastal communities are not only economic assets; they are carriers of cultural heritage, social cohesion, and collective identity.
This also requires better policy integration. Coastal issues cut across multiple domains - fisheries, regional development, environmental protection, and social policy. Fragmented approaches risk overlooking cumulative impacts and weakening outcomes. Incorporating sociological knowledge into policymaking can help bridge these gaps, ensuring that lived realities inform strategic decisions.
Malta's upcoming Port Regeneration project offers an opportunity to move in this direction - to place communities at the centre of development, and to ensure that coastal policy is not only economically and environmentally sustainable, but also socially just.
Ultimately, the question remains: do we treat our coasts as commodities, or as communities?
Prof Michael Briguglio is Associate Professor at the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Arts, University of Malta
www.michaelbrigugio.com