Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1405706
7 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 29 AUGUST 2021 NEWS insisting the proposal should not even be studied. "The bay remains one of the few accessible bays in the south. If we destroy it we will be suf- focating one of the few open spaces in the south where it is possible to enjoy the sea, the sun and have a leisurely walk," Galea said. Swimming areas should be protected – Fearne Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne said the swimming areas in the bay should be protected but stopped short of disagreeing with a marina. "It is clear that the part of Mar- saskala bay that is still good for swimming should be protected. I am informed that this is what will happen. Any other decision involving the bay should only be taken after wide consultation with residents and stakehold- ers," Fearne replied. Minister Carmelo Abela re- ferred the newspaper to an opinion piece he wrote in l-Orizzont last week in which he did not express his personal views but pledged to voice the concerns of Marsaskala resi- dents in Cabinet. "From what I have seen and heard it is evident that many people want the bay to remain as is, to be enjoyed primarily by residents, the locality groups and thousands of people who visit this beautiful locality. So, in the name of Marsaskala res- idents, this will be the message that I will take with me in the relevant forums," Abela wrote. He defended his choice not to go public with his views, in- sisting he was not one "to shoot from the hip". Medical doctor Silvio Grixti, a Labour backbencher, was coy about the matter. He referred to a statement released by Trans- port Malta in which it said the pre-qualification questionnaire was at this stage an exercise calling for ideas that would re- quire studies and consultation. "I believe that whoever makes proposals should immediately take into consideration the con- cerns of the community in any process that takes place after bidders give their ideas," Grixti said. He added that apart from taking into consideration the country's economic develop- ment, the needs of the commu- nity should also be taken into account. However, Grixti did not say where he personally stands on the project and seems to agree that the exercise initiated by TM should not be abandoned forthwith. Plans show pontoons all around the creek Yacht marina plans included in the document published by TM show how the whole creek would be taken up by pontoons, effectively blocking off all the foreshore where people swim and fish. Residents and local clubs have denounced the plans, which threaten to change the creek's idyllic views for ever. Transport Minister Ian Borg has defended the TM exercise, insisting that the marina was necessary to respond to a grow- ing population of boaters that require berthing places. The Marsaskala council has called for existing boat moor- ings inside the creek to be re- organised but is opposed to a marina. Concerns have also been raised over the environmental impact of a marina on the eco- logically sensitive Il-Magħluq, a saline marshland home to the native Killifish. On Friday, residents, local clubs and activists from Graffit- ti protested on the promenade against the marina plans. ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt idential and commercial devel- opment on the site of the for- mer national swimming pool at Żonqor, which has since then been transferred to the Sadeen Group of Jordan. A report by the Malta Mari- time Authority in 2009 con- cluded that a marina with 380 berths, including a breakwater and quay, would cost €24 mil- lion. The cost and environmen- tal impact of the marina led its discarding, and a temporary marina operating from June to September with 80 berths near the Żonqor pool was proposed. One of the advantages cited was the vicinity to restaurants. The report followed a 2006 strategic planning assessment for Marsaskala's harbour, which referred to the need to minimise dredging, land recla- mation and the size of the re- quired breakwater due to the impact on water quality and Posidonia meadows. The possible development of a yacht marina in Marsas- kala was mentioned during the 2017 Budget speech as part of an ongoing strategy to improve Malta's profile as a yachting centre while rein- vigorating marine locations, such as those at Sa Maison and the Gzira Gardens project. Subsequently, Transport Mal- ta issued a call for bids for the design, construction and oper- ation of a yacht marina in Mar- saskala in June 2018. The call was reissued in the past days. As now proposed, the lay- out of the marina is expected to substantially increase the current berthing capacity to a minimum of at least 700 berths, while the concessionaire will also be expected to host and provide for a re-organisation of the current 567 berth-holders. Excluding those 567 berth-holders, the marina should be organised with 20% dedicated to vessels of up to 12m long, 50% dedicated to vessels 13-23m long, 25% to vessels of 24 -36m, and the re- maining 5% to vessels larger than 36m. Smaller vessels will be berthed in the inner part of the marina, whereas the larger vessels will be in the outer part. The plans show the need for dredging – a practice which is damaging to the bay's under- water habitat – in at least four different places. The plans also propose that land be reclaimed in three separate areas the to- tal area of which would be of 16,000 square metres. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt COMMENT Raphael Vassallo MT2 The Deloitte report warned of the need for dredging and land reclamation, and that "water circulation may be a problem" and that the development "may spoil the character of the bay."