Blue flag awards - We all need to clean up our act

THE 83 blue flags awarded to 80 bathing areas and three marinas scattered around our 1,448 kilometres of coastline should be welcomed.

But it is absurd to tout this as a record because it is one less than the number of blue flags awarded to this country last year.

The blue flag is the prestigious international scheme introduced to assure tourists that the water quality, facilities, and safety of particular areas are of the highest quality. Over the years this has acted as an incentive for local communities to improve the quality of their beaches and marinas.