The Libyan News Agency highlighted the controversy surrounding citizens’ right to access public beaches, amid an increase in the number of private resorts along parts of the coastline and the accompanying demands to ensure free access to the sea.

Citizens said that finding a public beach has become more difficult in a number of coastal cities, as areas designated for resorts and tourist facilities have expanded, prompting some families to pay entrance fees or seek out remote locations to reach the sea.

The Missing Balance Between Investment and Freedom to Enjoy the Sea

The agency quoted some experts as saying that investment in the tourism sector is a key factor in revitalizing the economy and developing coastal facilities, emphasizing that this must go hand in hand with the preservation of public beaches and the provision of free access points that guarantee citizens’ right to use them.

They called for the establishment of mechanisms that strike a balance between encouraging tourism investment and preserving the waterfront as a public facility, thereby ensuring that citizens continue to benefit from the beaches while also supporting development in the tourism sector.

Municipal Guard Campaigns on the Beaches

Colonel Salah al-Sahli, Director of Public Relations and Media at the Municipal Guard, affirmed that public beaches are a guaranteed right for all citizens, noting that the Municipal Guard is conducting monitoring campaigns to ensure compliance with the laws and regulations governing their use.

Closure of Some Beaches Under Certain Circumstances

Al-Sahli clarified that no entity or private resort has the right to prevent citizens from entering public beaches or deny them access to them, emphasizing that legal action will be taken against violators, while the closure of certain beaches is limited to circumstances related to public safety or the protection of health and the environment.

Regulations governing resorts stipulate that public beaches must be accessible to everyone, while allowing services to be provided for a fee, without this restricting citizens’ right of access to the sea.