A total 91 per cent of Marsaxlokk and Birzebbuga residents want gas to be stored outside the bay, Nationalist MEP candidate Therese Commodini Cachia said this afternoon.

She was addressing a news conference after journalists were taken out on a fishing vessel in a bid to show them how close the floating liquefied gas storage the government plans would be to the Freeport and to the bay.

Dr Commodini Cachia said residents were concerned about their safety, afraid that the village would not remain picturesque and that fishermen would be hindered in their work.

In spite of this, the government was intent on continuing with its plans to anchor the gas storage vessels in Marsaxlokk.

She said that for these residents, the government seemed one to listen only to those who played its own tune.

Dr Commodini Cachia asked whether any studies were carried out to see the what impact the storage would have on the Freeport and fishing operations.

Later in the evening, Labour MEP candidate Miriam Dalli said that the PN was trying to hinder the project even though all necessary studies, including risk assessments and wave impact studies, had been held.

Ship movement simulations were also carried out with Transport Malta and these showed that the manoeuvring of ships in harbour would not affect the project, which was currently being processed by the planning authority.

Ms Dalli said it was also not true that the project would impact the Freeport, Oil Tanking or any other work in harbour.

She said she could not understand how the project would not hinder a 400-metre ship from entering the Freeport but could hinder a 20-metre fishing vessel.

The PN’s strategy, she said, was clear, to use all possible means to stop the generation of electricity through gas.