Boat owners warned to keep clear of bird breeding zone

Several boat owners have been cautioned for violating a maritime buffer zone off Rdum tal-Madonna in Mellieha, a breeding ground for Yelkouan Shearwaters, BirdLife Malta said today.

It said that the buffer zone, declared last January, was, by and large being respected, but several infringements had been recorded by a few key boat operators. The zone is patroled by the AFM.

The buffer zone aims to protect the breeding colony from potentially disruptive boat based activities at night - from two hours before sunset to two hours after sunrise. Disruptive activities at night including loud music, fireworks and excessive lights are prohibited within approximately 1.1 nautical mile distance off Rdum tal-Madonna from February to the end of July, which is the breeding season.

Malta holds an estimated 10% of the world population of Yelkouan Shearwaters. The birds return to Malta to breed in February and remain at the colony until the end of July. During this period, the birds are particularly susceptible to disturbance and may even abandon the nest site if the disturbance is persistent or extreme. This has already been recorded in areas such as Hal Far, where sections of the shearwater breeding colonies were abandoned due to increased light and noise pollution, BirdLife said.