After visiting the Idyllic Island of the Azores, a Maltese traveler breaks down how poorly protected Kemmuna is
After visiting an idyllic island in the Azores, Portugal, Mark Debono couldn’t help but think of Malta’s own version, Kemmuna, and the differences in how it is protected.
“There are no kiosks; if you want a drink, bring one with you. No one sets up sunbeds or umbrellas; bring a towel and a hat,” Debono wrote on social media in an introspective post that quickly went viral.
Comparing what he saw in the Azores with what is happening in Kemmuna, Debono listed a number of undeniable facts that showed how badly the Maltese authorities were protecting our own idyllic island.
He told how there were also limits imposed on how many trips could be made per day, following a fixed schedule.
“There are no ice cream boats, no music boats, no one selling burgers, and no hellish pineapple drinks (although the Azores are the only place in Europe where pineapples are grown).”
The visit to the island was full of restrictions – restrictions that only bring good for the safeguarding of the natural environment – something that is still foreign to Malta.
It is not allowed to fly drones, due to the disturbance that this may cause to the native birds that are on the island.
“From the beach you are not allowed to climb from a certain point, because that is the wildlife refuge, and if you are seen climbing, guards with binoculars and whistles will shout at you to get down, and you will be fined.”
“Please take your trash back to the bigger island and don’t leave it here, they told you.”
“It lets you go there and swim, stay for a few hours, then leave, without leaving a trace. And that’s it. It’s really not that hard to understand,” he said.
He made reference to the efforts made by the Portuguese government to achieve a balance between the management of tourism and the needs of the local people.
“By ‘balance’ I do not mean that we allow fewer sun beds or only one operator at sea. I mean we don’t leave any of them. Nothing. Zero. Zilch. Nada.”
He made reference to the current situation in Kemmuna, where he referred to the sellers of the private beaches as “parasites” who have already stolen much of Malta’s heritage.
“These parasites already have a fringe on large ribbons of the coasts of Malta and Gozo. We do not owe them a living from our public goods. They all already stole enough, and they weren’t taxed on it,” he stressed.
“In these decades since they set up shop in Kemmuna (and everywhere else), we are the losers in history, and they are the ones who captured it, robbed blind tourists, put insane pressure on a habitat delicate, they left. tons of garbage behind them, they pressured the man-child politicians to pour more concrete, they forced us to pay to enjoy what is enshrined in our laws, and they never issued a VAT receipt.”
“The only possible equitable balance at this point would be to evict them all from the Commune and return the land to its natural state, with well-funded and well-organized guards protecting it against further devastation and exploitation,” he he suggested.
“But of course, seabirds and plants don’t vote, do they?” he concluded.
What do you make of these suggestions?