Is it the last sunset for the campers on Comino?

I refer to the news this week that the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) has issued an enforcement order to evict any camp on Comino and, in practice, render any camping on the island illegal.

For decades, the camping site near Santa Marija Bay on Comino has been an issue of controversy – simply because it was tolerated, but not regulated, due to an apparent lack on initiative on the part of the same Authority that has now decided to simply abruptly end the practice. In my opinion, this action is draconian, exaggerated and contradictory on three aspects:

First and foremost, the end result of the campsite and its evolution during the years is the direct responsibility of the relevant authorities who, presumably for some reason, failed to regulate it. The place is indeed a camper’s paradise with a remote, tranquil location, away from today’s hustle and bustle, immersed in nature and just a few metres away from the beach. One cannot possibly blame the campers for using the unregulated campsite! Its increase in size and extended use beyond the summer months is simply an obvious consequence to the splendour of its ambience and the lack of regulation.

Consequently, if the camping permits were not being obtained, as admitted by the ERA, it stands to reason that the author- ities responsible should also carry part of the blame. However, it seems that the only ones culpable in this matter are the campers. Furthermore, if a permit was available, it also stands to reason that the site is indeed adequate for camping: were it not, there would be no permit available in the first place!

More importantly, the campers have been portrayed as a nature-invasive, party-goers colony with no respect or care for the natural environment around them, when the reality is exactly the opposite. Of the people who love camping, 99 per cent are, by nature, nature lovers. They would strive to keep the place they enjoy clean, tidy and untouched, simply because it is the one place that brings them the tranquillity and serenity that seem to have become of utopian connotations in today’s hectic life!

My suggestion is that the campsite on Comino is finally regulated, and not simply rendered illegal as per the current legal notice. The camping areas should be clearly designated in adequate places, and a permit should be paid in accordance to the number and size of the camps, and the days the area is used, possibly with a limited time period.

Jason Grech Victoria