The relocation of the ducks at il-Magħluq in Marsascala is still under way because of a group of waterfowl which is difficult to capture.
The lagoon, a Natura 2000 site and home to endangered Maltese killifish is undergoing a conservation project, and the transfer of the waterfowl started in May of last year.
One year on, there are still ducks – and a stench – on site. There have been repeated appeals to save the marshland, and the introduction of ducks at the wetland over the years contributed to the degradation of the protected site.
When contacted, a spokeswoman for the Infrastructure Ministry noted that there were some 100 domesticated ducks on site last year. Of these, 57 were captured, tested against Salmonella, Avian Flu and Newcastle disease, as instructed by the Animal Welfare Department, and relocated to Manoel Island. Another 23 were found dead and removed, leaving around 20 on site – since they can fly, these proved hard to capture.
The spokeswoman noted that despite the continuous removal of eggs, the number of ducks increased, most probably due to illegal introduction by the public.
The ministry and the Animal Welfare department are looking into ways of removing the remaining waterfowl.
The undigested food thrown for the ducks by passers-by, their excrement and their eggs attract rodents, so a control programme was implemented.
The ministry carried out an assessment study about dredging the accumulated debris. An application for the dredging is being evaluated by the Environment and Resources Authority.
The construction of Triq il-Qalet in the early 1990s and the natural accumulation of silt and sediment have led to reduced water circulation in the ponds. Apart from emitting foul odours, this negatively impacts the vulnerable Maltese killifish, or il-Bużaqq – a concern brought up by Nature Trust Malta over the years.
President Vince Attard explained that in a bid to save the dwindling population of the killifish, the environmental organisation last year acquired Mepa’s permission to take five Bużaqq pairs to the Malta Aquaculture Research Centre at Fort San Lucjan, where they are being bred in aquarium conditions.
In the 1990s, Nature Trust had done the same with a group of killifish at Marsaxlokk’s Balluta, which it later introduced at Marsascala’s Magħluq because it feared their extinction. In fact, the killifish population at Marsaxlokk was wiped out, and Nature Trust was concerned the same would happen in Marsascala.