A tugboat is to be scuttled off Exiles, Sliema, next year at part of efforts to improve Malta's attractiveness as a destination for divers, the Malta Tourism Authority said today.

A former AFM patrol boat will also be scuttled in 2012, at a site which has still to be identified.

The MTA said that diving was one of the priority areas of its Strategic Plan and an important part of the Sport Tourism segment in the draft National Tourism Plan.

As part of this ongoing process, the Malta Tourism Authority in collaboration with the Malta Marine Foundation (MMF) had so far scuttled two vessels in strategic areas. Former patrol boat P 29 was scuttled off Cirkewwa in August 2007 while another patrol boat, P 31, was scuttled off Comino in August 2009.

The next two projects will be carried out together with the Professional Diving Association (PDSA).

The patrol boat to be scuttled in 2012 will be P-33, a Bremse-class vessel which is 23.33m long, with a beam of 4.7m and approximately 7m high. It was transferred to the Authority by the AFM in August.

The scuttling operations will take place after Mepa approval and after both vessels have been cleaned, to avoid any contamination.

The Maltese Islands attract some 60,000 divers each year.

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