A trail of white slime is once again trailing the Sliema seafront today, though its source appears to remain unknown. 

The slime appeared around Exiles beach over the weekend and once again this morning, though pictures show it did not deter swimmers from taking to the water. 

Last Wednesday, Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries Roderick Galdes told parliament that the slime had not come from fish farms but was natural foam.

The Environment and Resources Authority said it is carrying out a scientific investigation into the repeated appearance of slime in bays around Malta.

Reports emerged over the weekend of large amounts of white foam in the sea beneath Wignacourt Tower in St Paul's Bay and close to Exiles in Sliema, the latest in a long series of similar incidents dating back to last summer.

In several cases in the past, the slime was established to have emanated from a number of fish farms around the island, but farm operators have denied any responsibility for more recent occurrences.

Widespread reports of oily slime in several bays picked up pace last summer, with a report commissioned by the environment ministry identifying fish farms as the source. Operators admitted the sludge was caused by a new fish feed with higher fat content.

 

 

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