Work on a €7 million rehabilitation project at the Salina salt pans is expected to be completed by the end of next year.
A restaurant will demonstrate the culinary aspects of high quality salt
The project involves the restoration and cleaning of the salt pans, which will return to production after being halted by damage caused by floods.
Salt production was badly affected by the floods of 1998 and again in 2003. In the recent floods, the embankment of the pans was badly damaged and the pans (under sea level) were flooded with stagnant water and debris.
The wooden huts were also badly damaged and are being rebuilt. They will be used both for the storage and processing/packaging of the salt and also as a visitors’ centre, which will be set up at the Ximenes Redoubt.
Storm water canals to contain rainwater are being built.
The project aims to reduce sea pollution through control of waste and sewage disposal.
An open air salt-museum and a visitors’ centre explaining the benefits of the traditional methods used for salt production and increasing environmental education will be set up.
The project will include a restaurant, demonstrating the culinary aspects of high quality salt, and a nature/heritage trail around the surrounding area of Burmarrad, possibly including the chapel and Roman/Punic remains under the custody of Heritage Malta, will be established.
The Ximenes Redoubt, a defensive work located on the southern coast of Salina Bay, raised between 1715 and 1716, will be restored. The salt pans at Salina were probably constructed during the 16th century. This was discovered after close inspection of one of Matteo Perez d’Aleccio frescoes (1576-1581) depicting scenes from the Great Siege of Malta in 1565 entitled La Venuta dell’Armata Turchesca a dì 18 Maggio 1565. In the fresco, a schematic plan of Le Saline Nuove can be seen in the same place where the Salini are located today.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, salt was an absolute necessity for preserving food. However, in the beginning of the 18th century, a need was felt by the Order of St John to protect the area of the Salini by introducing a defence structure. This proves that the salt pans were already present in the area by that time.
The Soccorse canal, extending from Salina Bay to Kennedy Grove, completely surrounding the salt pans, was most probably built in the late 1600s to carry freshwater runoff from the land to the sea at Salina Bay and to provide sea water in a continuous flow around the salt pans.
The rehabilitation project, funded by the EU, mainly aims to revitalise and support the traditional industry of sea salt extraction through solar evaporisation.