The ducks at Il-Magħluq will finally be removed from the saline marshland in Marsascala, following repeated appeals over recent years to conserve the Natura 2000 site.
This is one of the measures proposed in Mepa’s management plan to conserve the lagoon, which is home to the critically endangered Maltese killifish.
The waterfowl will be removed, quarantined and then relocated. The ducks are alien to this environment and are highly likely to be having an adverse impact on the site and water quality, a Mepa spokesman said.
The water at Il-Magħluq, which is categorised as a Special Area of Conservation, is gathered from the surrounding villages and meets the seawater from the inner bay.
Originally two interconnected fishponds lined with layered stones, it is one of the only two remaining marshes in the south.
The brackish water is home to peculiar salt-tolerant marsh communities and critically endangered protected species that include the killifish and wetland plants such as rushes.
The introduction of the ducks is believed to have led to a decline in the health of the marshland. The ducks’ food attracts rats and rubbish is dumped on site. Mepa recently concluded an EU-funded project which includes the management plan for all 34 terrestrial Natura 2000 sites. Measures include regular inspection of the lagoon-sea interface connection and its regular cleaning and maintenance to improve the water conditions of the pond.