PN: MTA officials telling people to leave Comino beach ‘unacceptable’

The Nationalist Party has condemned reports that Malta Tourism Authority officials told a person to leave an area in Comino occupied by sunbeds on the grounds that the space was “not public”.

In a statement, the party said the incident revealed by NGO Moviment Graffitti was unacceptable and called for an explanation from the government over whether Comino still belongs to the Maltese and Gozitan public or has become “a monopoly because of proximity to power”.

The party said Comino, particularly the Blue Lagoon, forms part of Malta’s natural heritage and insisted that no commercial concession should allow private operators or public authorities to treat a public beach as private property.

It said the government must clarify what happened and who authorised the removal of the individual from the area.

The PN said the incident was not isolated and reflected a recurring pattern in the management of Comino, where commercial interests linked to those close to power are allegedly prioritised over public access, environmental protection and the principle that public spaces belong to everyone.

It criticised the Labour government for years of promises to bring order to Comino, arguing that “chaos” and pressure on the Natura 2000 site have persisted, including continued concessions and growing commercial activity.

The party also renewed its call for the publication of a study on Comino’s carrying capacity, saying the public has a right to know how many visitors the island can sustain and what recommendations and decisions have been made.

It urged the government and the Malta Tourism Authority to explain who instructed that the person be removed, on what basis the area was deemed “not public”, and what measures will be taken to prevent a repeat of the incident.

The PN said Comino must be protected rather than exploited for profit, adding that the government should defend public access to the country’s natural spaces.

“As the Opposition, the PN has an obligation to defend the people’s interests, and that is exactly what it will do,” it said.