Carrying capacity study on Comino needs to be published: PN

The government should publish the carrying capacity study on which the decision to create a pre-booking system for Comino was based, the Nationalist Party said on Friday.

“The fact that the government is basing decisions on a study which it is then refusing to publish is alarming and reveals a lack of transparency. If the study exists and is complete, then there is no reason for it not to be published immediately,” the PN said.

The criticism comes in light of a new system capping visitors to Comino at 4,000 at one time. Individuals or groups arriving by private or commercial vessels will have to pre-book a slot for free through the online system—bluelagooncomino.mt. Visitors can book one of three daily time slots: 8am-1pm, 1:30pm-5:30pm and 6pm-10pm.

PN spokespersons Alex Borg, Mario De Marco and Rebekah Borg said Comino is a protected island, is environmentally sensitive, and any decision regarding access and its use must be based on scientific evidence, not on political calculations or commercial pressure.

“The public can only be assured of this if the report is published. The people of Gozo and Malta have a right to know the scientific basis on which the government is planning measures such as visitor controls at the Blue Lagoon. Creating a booking system or setting artificial limits without revealing whether these are sustainable is a clear example of how the Government is withholding fundamental information that should be public,” the PN said.

It said the party will continue to apply pressure to ensure Comino is protected in the best way possible. “The government must be transparent with the people and clearly state what it based its decisions on.”

Earlier this week, Gozo spokesperson Alex Borg described the new visitor system “a step backwards”, questioning why Maltese people need to book to “visit their own land”.

“I understand that we need some form of control over the large number of people visiting Comino, especially in summer. But do we Maltese now need to start booking just to visit our own land? That’s a step backwards,” Borg said on Wednesday.