Patterns and problems in recreational boating activities : management issues and recommendations

Abstract

There is insufficient academic literature regarding boating patterns throughout the Maltese Islands at present. This research study thus provides new ideas and perspectives on this relatively recent manner of leisure activity. The nature of marine leisure brought about by the geomorphology and climate of the Maltese Islands have long been a major attraction to tourists from around the world, while proving to be a pride of the locals. The Maltese summer has led to yearly increase in local boating activities and in influx of foreign marine public. During this time of year hot spots such as Blue Lagoon, Mellieħa Bay, and Ramla l-Ħamra are full of marine vessels ranging from small jet skis to enormous yachts, owned by people coming from all around the world. Such high densities of marine vessels in a limited number of areas could cause conflicts. These conflicts include lack of space and safety hazards, amongst others. This dissertation identifies such conflicts, analysis them, and provides recommendations for better spatial distributions throughout the Maltese coastline. These results are derived from questionnaires distributed to boat owners situated in the three bays mentioned above. Conclusions and proposals are then derived from the public's own ideas, or from the comparison and analyses of results. The results obtained from these questionnaires and on-site observations are expected to show a tendency towards the need of better spatial distribution, especially in the case of Blue Lagoon. Problems faced during data gathering are mentioned further while a general conclusion of this dissertation includes improvements which could have been made in order to improve the accuracy and credibility of the results.