The environment and planning authority is unable to say whether fish farms in the south are observing permit conditions even though it is responsible for their monitoring.

Times of Malta has been chasing answers on the fish farms’ operations since August when it reported on the pollution that continues to be seen at the once pristine bay at il-Kalanka, limits of Delimara.

When the slew of greasy, white foam hits the bay, swimmers complain of a stench of fish in their hair and on their skin but Mepa would not say whether the fish farms are the problem.

Asked what else could be causing the pollution, a spokesman said: “The source is not known.”

The source [of pollution] is not known

The environment and planning authority was also unable to say whether the pans belonging to Malta Fish Farming Ltd and Fish and Fish Ltd were located too close to shore.

“We are working on obtaining assistance from other entities that can help us determine the exact coordinates of the respective pans,” the spokesman said over a week ago.

Mepa was yesterday still unable to verify whether the location of the pens was according to the permits granted.

The pens belonging to Fish and Fish Limited should be located 800 metres south east of the nearest headland at Xrobb l-Għaġin, near il-Ħoffriet in Marsaxlokk.

Malta Fish Farming Limited pens should be located 700 metres further offshore from operations covered by the original permit, according to Mepa.

The ‘mystery’ of the pollution at il-Kalanka remains unsolved since 2009, when officials from the former Resources Ministry were dispatched to the area to investigate the same kind of pollution drifting into the bay following media reports.

Similar pollution in St Paul’s Bay, where fish farms are also located. Photo: Facebook

Complaints by St Paul’s Bay residents, supplemented with photos, about a similar slick of slime close to shore have also appeared on social media sites this summer.

Swimmers complain of a similar ‘fishy’ stench as that experienced in il-Kalanka.

Fish farms belonging to Azzopardi Fisheries are located in the area.

There is an environmental cost to the aquaculture industry that needs to be watched.

Aquaculture can be a good alternative to fishing because it eases pressure on wild stocks if done in the right way, according to sustainable fishing coalition Fish4tomorrow.

“The problem is that some aquaculture operations, especially those which produce carnivorous fish, have a number of environmental implications,” the coalition said.

Such problems include the destruction of surrounding habitat, pollution from excessive feed and chemical waste resulting from either medicinal products added to the cages to combat disease or pesticides and even antifouling agents used on the nets and cages, it added.