BirdLife Malta has welcomed the government's plans for three wind farms, one of them close to a conservation site they manage in Mellieħa.

In a joint statement, Friends of the Earth, Nature Trust and BirdLife welcomed the announcement as a positive step forward that should eventually lead Malta to cut its dependence on fossil fuels.

The proposed offshore wind farm at Sikka l-Bajda reef, off Mellieħa, had raised concerns since the turbines were likely to be in the flight path of the Yelkouan Shearwater, a seabird that BirdLife is working to conserve in the area.

However, BirdLife's Tolga Temuge said the main issue was with a particular mast. The conservation group suggested that it should be moved a couple of 100 meters away from the colony and they feel their issue can be mitigated with this move.

"We support the government's plans as long as they are done within the requisites of the nature conservation directive," Mr Temuge said.

The project, co-financed by the EU, is the largest conservation project on the islands dedicated to studying and protecting a nocturnal seabird and is worth almost €1 million.

The statement did deal with this point, stressing that tests should be carried out on the proposed sites to avoid any damage to biodiversity. The statement said the selection of locations for wind farms and associated infrastructure was key to avoiding impact on wild birds and other biodiversity.

This was why environmental impact assessments and other forms of necessary tests were required by EU nature conservation directives, the NGOs insisted.

Along with the offshore farm which had already been announced, the government also proposed two land-based wind farms in Wied Rini, limits of Baħrija and Ħal Far on Tuesday.

The NGOs said the projects would be of great benefit to the environment, social commitments and sovereignty.

The NGOs said that much more needed to be done in the development of clean and renewable energy at household level. The deployment of small-scale wind turbines and solar panels over the roofs of Maltese houses should be encouraged and given importance, including with fiscal and economic incentives.