Some 500 endemic killifish bużaqq will be reintroduced to Il-Magħluq marshland in Marsascala to bolster the endangered population as authorities begin works to improve the unique habitats at the site. 

Il-Magħluq, a protected Natura 2000 site, is one of only two saline marshlands in the south of Malta and currently the only habitat of the Maltese killifish sub-species. 

Read: Il-Magħluq dredging set to go ahead

The killifish, the only local fish that lives in brackish water, has been declining in numbers at Il-Magħluq due to litter, predators and poor water quality, leading environment agency Ambjent Malta to begin efforts to improve circulation by dredging silt and other material from the site.

Nature Trust director Vincent Attard, whose organisation collaborates on the management of the site, explained that the killifish population at Il-Magħluq had disappeared in the 1990s due to pollution, and was reintroduced from Il-Ballut in Marsaxlokk.

However, the Marsaxlokk population died out shortly afterwards, while the one at Il-Magħluq had dwindled once more. 

Mr Attard said a breeding programme, which had started with just five pairs, had now produced some 500 fish, which would slowly be reintroduced to the Marsascala marshland, and eventually the one in Marsaxlokk.

Breeding programme produces some 500 fish

Alexander Borg Galea from Ambjent Malta said the agency was currently applying for EU funding to carry out dredging, for which planning permits are already in hand, to upgrade the site. 

Silt and other material accumulated from the connecting valley system and the adjacent roads had impacted water circulation and the killifish population by drastically reducing the amount of oxygen in the water.

Dumping of rubbish ‒ as well as live ducks being brought to the site ‒ had also had a negative impact on the closed ecological system, he said. 

The dredging works themselves will be carried out in such a way as to minimise the impact on the fish, avoiding the breeding season, which runs from April to June. The works will also come as a relief to nearby Marsascala residents and the local council, which has for years called for Il-Magħluq to be given attention to remedy the bad odours and general state of neglect. 

During a visit by Environment Minister José Herrera on Monday, authorities said the site would be equipped with CCTV cameras to cut down on dumping, while discussions are also underway for it to be included on hop-on-hop-off bus routes, promoting the site as an ecotourism stop-off.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.