Marsaskala council shoots down yacht marina proposal

The Marsaskala council has formally adopted a position against having a yacht marina in the locality during an urgent meeting on Monday.

A motion proposed by Labour councillor Ryan Portelli and seconded by PN councillor John Baptist Camilleri called on Transport Malta to “immediately withdraw” its proposal and “abandon the idea” of a yacht marina concession in Marsaskala.

The motion was approved with eight votes in favour and one abstention. The abstention came from Labour councillor, architect John Schembri, who chose not to comment during the meeting.

The motion also calls on Transport Malta to enter into immediate discussions with the council and the community for the reorganisation of existing boat moorings with full respect to the cultural and social traditions of the locality, the marine environment and full protection of all swimmer zones.

Earlier councillors spoke of their concerns over the proposal made by TM last Friday in a pre-qualification questionnaire to gauge commercial interest in a yacht marina concession in Marsaskala bay.

Detailed drawings with the document showed pontoons taking up all the space around the bay. The document also made reference to a minimum 700 berths that would accommodate boats of various sizes.

The proposal caused widespread anger among residents.

Mayor Mario Calleja spoke against the TM proposal but was hesitant to take a vote on a motion presented by veteran PN councillor John Baptist Camilleri slamming the marina proposal.

Calleja said that in a meeting with TM, the authority described the designs as an “artist’s impression” and there was nothing cast in stone.

This was a repeat of what the authority said on Sunday in a reaction to the negative feedback the proposal got from residents.

Camilleri said the concession document spoke of boats that were much larger than the largest fishing boat that today operates from within Marsaskala bay. He said the marina would make swimming in the bay impossible.

He said that no reference to Marsaskala residents and their needs was made in the TM document.

Portelli gave a well-prepared speech detailing the reasons why a yacht marina would ruin the bay and the social life around it. He said that even if pontoons were considered for a simple reorganisation, the fear would be that they will expand in the future.

He also noted that the same 2006 local plan that spoke of a yacht marina also made it clear that the natural environment at Il-Magħluq, a saline marshland, should be safeguarded. “A marina and pontoons would impact water circulation that will have negative impacts on the Magħluq,” he said.

He listed a host of activities that could attract tourists to Marsaskala, including diving and historical attractions.