Updated with ministry statement

A sub-contractor who was filmed controversially tipping rubble into the sea at Marsalforn has been ordered to retrieve it from the seabed.

Enforcement officers went on site as soon as the authority was notified about the infringement on Thursday.

Workers started removing the dumped material upon the orders of the enforcement officers.

The authority said it would continue to monitor the site until it was satisfied that all the dumped material had been removed and the site was returned to its original state.

Footage of a truckful of sand and rubble being dumped at Marsalforn Bay on Thursday went viral on social media.

Two workers were seen casually tipping the rubble into the water in broad daylight to the surprise of onlookers.

But while this angered many, a spokesman for the Gozo Ministry clarified that this was an annual process covered by a permit from the Environment and Resources Authority.

Sub-contracted workers were clearing sediment which was pushed up into the valley from the sea. This would prevent flooding in winter, the spokesman said.

The sub-contractors this year decided to dump the material from a truck while in previous years a mechanical shovel was used to push the material into the sea from below the bridge.

Although there was an attempt at explaining what was actually being done on Facebook, questions were raised asking why the rubble was being dumped into the sea and why the exercise was being carried out at the peak of the swimming season.

A Facebook user wrote: “Surely this couldn't have been done before swimming season has started?” and was sarcastically answered “But that would have taken planning and probably would not have inconvenienced tourists.”

The Gozo Ministry spokesman said that the work had to be done in summer because it could not be done during the rainy season. He pointed out wind and bad weather was forecast for the coming days.

He acknowledged that although the work could have been carried out during early hours and late in the evening, the ministry was advised the work should be done at one go, to allow the sediment to settle.

The dumped material being removed from the sea. Photo: Planning Authority

In a statement on Friday morning, the Gozo Ministry said the tipping seen in the video consisted of sand, pebbles and other material that the waves would have taken up from the sea in winter.

It was dumped back in the sea every year in line with a method statement approved by the ERA and this process could only be done in favourable weather conditions.

The ministry said it was collaborating with the competent authorities to ensure there would be no environmental impact on the zone.