If my dad were alive, he would have fought till the last drop of his strength to defend the culture of fishing, which goes back well over 100 years in Marsamxett, Valletta, and includes the “fishing tackle boxes” seen in this photo. They might have changed slightly in shape and material over the years but they have remained solely dedicated to fishing and the keeping of tackle. Unlike the boathouses in Mellieħa and Armier, il-fossa in Valletta and many other sites, whose use has gone from a boat shelter to a summer house, the Marsamxett tackle boxes have served that purpose and that purpose alone. The government seems to bulldoze over those who do not oppose or voice an outcry... but then retreats in the face of protests from lobbies like hunting and trapping.

This week we will see the destruction of these tackle boxes and with it the culture. Now the Malta Environment and Planning Authority and the NGOs will not be expected to voice any concern over the matter but what is replacing this area will be the encroachment of catering establishments and a maze of parked cars leaving very little space for wintering our boats.

I dedicate this letter to my late dad, Vincent Borg, otherwise known as Ċensu ix-xelin, who was once the government’s primary deep sea diver in the 1960s. He spent a lot of time constructing most of the quays underwater around the whole of the Marsamxett harbour and laid power cables between Malta and Gozo with only a hand pump and an old rubber hose to keep him alive.

Sorry dad, I could not save the symbol of your favourite pastime.

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