Seagrass banquettes : wrong public perception

Abstract

Although Government announced the setting up of a ministerial committee on the environment, some ministries seem to be unaware of this, to say the least. The Wied ii-Kbir, Ghajn Rihana and Salina works, all conducted without an MEPA permit, although right in the middle of ecologically sensitive site, bear testimony to this. The Ministry of Tourism laudably sponsored the ICOD conference on coastal resources last October (reported in The Sunday Times last week), during which the importance of beached seagrass banquettes was stressed. In the same vein, the same ministry is responsible for beach cleaning activities, which remove all traces of such debris from our seaside, with the tacit approval of hoteliers and operators of such a service.