Study under way on boosting marine conservation areas

Four stretches of sea between Baħar iċ-Cagħaq and Marsalforn may be declared marine protected areas as the authorities plan to update the list of conservation sites.

The four areas are being studied, particularly because of the sea meadows they have, but no decision has been taken so far, the planning authority's environment protection director Martin Seychell said.

He said the studies were in line with the protection of certain marine areas, following an EU directive that obliges member states to outline priority habitats that have to be safeguarded.

The diving community in particular has been clamouring for this sort of action. In fact, last week the Professional Diving Schools Association called on authorities to declare popular diving sites as marine protected areas to preserve the underwater life, which ultimately attracts tourists.

Mepa said that at the moment there were two marine protected areas which included a part of Dwejra and the area between Rdum Majjiesa to Ras ir-Raħeb, while the sea around Filfla and areas surrounding wrecks also enjoy a level of protection.

Now the authority was looking into the protection of other sites that included the four in the northeast and other smaller sites in the south of the islands.

The information on these sites has been handed over to the government which will now present it to the European Commission to decide whether or not to accept the sites as Natura 2000 areas.

The scheduling under the Natura 2000 tag applies to sites protected under the EU Birds and Habitat directives that call on member states to outline special protection areas - marine and on land - that host priority species or habitats. The sea meadows in Malta would classify as a priority habitat.

Once a habitat is declared a Natura 2000 site it is not necessarily restricted for fishermen, divers or boats but the authorities would have to come up with a management plan to coordinate the protection of the habitat with human activity such as fishing or diving.

The process is constantly updated by member states, which are obliged to prepare a report on marine and terrestrial protected sites every four years. The next deadline is October.

"Malta's work is practically complete in identifying terrestrial sites. However, in terms of marine sites it is still works in progress across Europe," Mr Seychell explained.

Being an island Malta has a large marine surface, unlike other EU countries, and is discussing financial assistance with the European Commission to preserve the marine environment, he said.