Letters | Sunday, 07 December 2008

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Detrimental effects of fish farm in Qawra

Someone should look closely into the environmentally unfriendly strategy of the companies operating fish farms at the mouth of St Paul’s Bay, in that the pens are perceived to inch nearer and nearer the shore as autumn sets in each year.
This foul strategy has been going on for a number of years. Once September sets in, fish pens and their maintenance ships may be easily observed moving nearer and nearer the shore. Today in November as I write, the fish pens and their maintenance ships seem to be almost within swimming distance from Qawra point.
One may understand what makes the fish farming industry take this step, as it makes daily operations much less costly once shore distances are decreased, leaving higher profits and more lucrative returns. But we all remember when, some years ago, government pledged to relocate all fish farming to the south of Delimara, 6km out at sea if I remember correctly – and this to diminish pollution as much as possible. Government bowed in to Opposition from southern localities and this move never materialised – but do we in Qawra have to suffer the exact reversal to all this?
The end result is that the sea surface is replete with residue from the farms at this time of the year, which in turn generates unsightly and off-putting bubbles, indicating a polluted sea. The foul smelling and unsightly flotsam settles on the wide stretch along the coast when the current is coming inshore, making swimming impossible unless one does not mind wallowing in nauseating debris and risking an infection. One may also suspect that the two large white maintenance ships which are present on a 24-7 basis, add to the filth on the surface in the bay, since they come closer and closer to shore.
Many Maltese, myself included, still swim regularly at this time of the year, as the sea temperature hovers around a comfortable 22ºC until December. So do the many tourists that choose their vacation during October and November. But Qawra becomes impossible for swimming as the fish pen operations edge nearer and nearer the coast.
Does this inshore movement by the fish pens and their maintenance ships, which takes place like clockwork each year at this time, have the blessing of the authorities? Does MEPA sanction all this, if it is within MEPA’s remit of course? Is the Minister responsible for our environment happy with this situation? Is BICREF aware of the devastating consequences on sea fauna along the Qawra coast at this time of the year because of the result of this movement?
Is the minister responsible for tourism aware of the orchestra of whispering complaints by visitors who find the water inviting from a distance but too polluted for swimming because of the proximity of these fish pens? Is the minister responsible for the nation’s health aware of the dangers the fish pen pollution may pose to swimmers who dare the filth hanging on to our Qawra shores, regardless?
Fish farming entities owe the citizens of this country an explanation. If they have permits for this yearly move and their operations are above board, then they should state so and I would be the first one to thank them for being open. But then we would be free to turn to the administration for an explanation.

Joseph F Micallef
Attard

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