Protecting Malta’s seas must be a national priority
Momentum reaffirms its commitment to protecting Malta’s marine environment, one of our nation’s most valuable natural assets, on World Oceans Day.
As an island, our relationship with the sea is fundamental. Our economy, food security, tap water supply, tourism industry, and quality of life all depend on healthy and resilient marine ecosystems. The sea is not simply part of our landscape; it is part of our identity and our future.
Graziella Spiteri, committee member of Momentum, said: “Year after year, our seas continue to face significant pressures. We cannot continue to tolerate marine pollution, including recurring slime events, sewage discharges, and drainage overflows entering our coastal waters. As Malta’s population grows and economic activity expands, our efforts to protect the marine environment must grow accordingly.”
Momentum notes that recent incidents in the central Mediterranean, including the Arctic Metagaz case in which a damaged LNG tanker was left drifting for weeks near Malta, highlight the serious environmental risks posed by maritime accidents in our waters. Such events demonstrate how quickly a crisis at sea can escalate into a regional environmental emergency requiring international coordination and response.
Likewise, proposals for Malta to strengthen its role as a maritime hub, including large-scale fuel storage and bunkering operations, must be accompanied by robust safeguards, continuous monitoring, and robust emergency response capacity. A single major incident could have devastating consequences for our marine ecosystems, coastal communities, fisheries, and tourism sector.
Momentum calls on the Government to place ocean protection and marine governance at the top of the national agenda. This requires greater investment in scientific research and monitoring, including studying marine habitats and biodiversity, and assessing ecosystem health over the long term.
Spiteri added: “Malta should set ambitious targets to achieve United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. This can be achieved by investing greater resources in marine research and development, including comprehensive mapping of Malta’s seabed, sustainable aquaculture, marine conservation technologies, and innovation that supports a blue economy compatible with environmental protection.”
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