Updated 1.30pm with picture of recovered engine

Two men who were captured on film off Għadira bay this morning said they were recovering a boat engine from the sea and not dumping oil into the water, contrary to a resident's claims.

A reader said two men showed up in a black jeep around 7am and emptied the contents into the water of one of Malta's most popular bays, before driving off.

But later, the two men concerned said they were merely salvaging a boat engine which ran aground after last weekend's vicious storm. 

"We were pulling the engine with a winch... If any oil came out it was from the engine but we were doing nothing illegal," said the man, who did not wish to be named. The boat did not belong to the men in question and their intention was to restore the engine.

The retrieved engine.

The men later provided Times of Malta with a picture of the retrieved engine as well as a report filed to the police declaring they had recovered the engine.

When contacted, Robert Cortis, a consultant for the environmental sectors specialising in analytical chemistry, underlined the problem of oil coming into impact with sea water.

"Oil will stick to anything. If it washes up, it will stick to rocks and any flora and fauna that live on the shoreline, leading to deleterious effects on biota," he said.

Any floating oil slick inhibits oxygenation of the water beneath since it acts as a barrier, albeit this is not a major oil spill so damage is limited in terms of surface area.

"Fish farm owners nearby won't be too happy with an oil slick either. It will also cause a problem for birds such as seagulls if they land on the slick," Dr Cortis said.

[attach id=542574 size="large"]The oil slick could be seen in the water. [/attach]