Plans to build artificial reef at Il-Qaliet

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority plans to finance the building of a pilot artificial reef using inert waste material at a site off the Il-Qaliet coast.

The reef, lying at a depth of some 23 metres, would be financed through a forfeited bank guarantee of Lm50,000 from the Hilton developers as a penalty for construction work on the Portomaso marina.

During the marina development, the Posidonia oceanica meadows (commonly known as Neptune's Grass), which serve as a nursery for young fish, were partly destroyed due to non-adherence with permit conditions set out by the authority.

Adrian Mallia, environmental management unit manager in the Planning Directorate, said the authority wanted to try to develop an artificial reef that would provide an alternative habitat that could increase the richness of life on the seabed of the area, compensating for the loss suffered from the construction works.

In order to be able to do this, MEPA has filed an application for planning permission. MEPA is itself the authority which grants such permits, taking into consideration the advice of other bodies. It also needs this advice for its own application.

The small pilot reef, being created for study purposes, would be 10 metres long, by five metres wide, and three metres high. It would create a habitat for fish and other marine life. They would be constantly monitored in a scientific project for the first three years. Different reef designs were, however, still being considered.

The Malta Maritime Authority has already said that it would not object to the project.

This would be the first artificial reef of its kind in Malta because all such "reefs" set up so far have been scuttled boats that serve as artificial wrecks for diving purposes.

The MEPA, Mr Mallia said, was working with the Department of Biology of the University of Malta on this project and two postgraduate students would be undertaking their Masters of Science research on this project, monitoring the reef and comparing it with reference sites.

It is planned that the reef would be built using crushed inert waste material, essentially limestone, which would be mixed with other material to form blocks. Different mixes would be produced for mechanical testing, using as much waste as possible, ensuring however that the structure would retain its integrity.

Mr Mallia hoped that the reef would lead to more fish and other marine life in the area and the entire bay and that the reef would eventually also be an attraction for divers, while the increase in fish life in the bay would also be beneficial to fishermen.

Mr Mallia said contacts were established with a network of artificial reef researchers in Europe, and MEPA was currently researching what other countries, even outside Europe, had done. He hoped the reef would be a success and be the start of an artificial reef-building programme. However, he stressed that this was just a pilot project which could be removed if it proved to be unsuccessful.

He said this project was one of over 20 that have been identified by MEPA as part of the Environmental Initiatives in Partnership Programme that was launched by the authority last year.

Mr Mallia said that all PA environmental initiatives were being carried out in partnership with non-governmental organisations and local councils.

A steering committee was set up for every project with the PA acting as the broker between the developer and the NGO or local council in question, ensuring that things were being done in the correct manner and in line with a project plan.

The organisation taking up the project had to agree that not less than 80 per cent of the money for a particular project were used on site.