1997 report warned marina will ‘spoil Marsaskala’s character’

A Deloitte report in 1997 had warned that a yacht marina in Marsaskala bay “may spoil the character of the bay”, ranking the site eleventh among 18 sites considered; only six were short-listed by a report that concluded a marina in this site would be “unlikely”.

Marsaskala was one of nine sites completely ruled out for a marina on the basis of the yacht development study published by the Planning Authority 1997 during the Sant-led Labour administration.

The nine sites were excluded because the cost of development would be unacceptable both for economic reasons and “because the environmental or social costs would be too great”.  The other sites excluded included Salina, Mellieħa, Ċirkewwa, Mistra, White Rocks and St George’s Bay in St Julian’s.

The Deloitte report does refer to a number of advantages for a marina in Marsaskala, namely its shallow waters and the proximity to bars and restaurants. But it also refers to several disadvantages including “little room for shore-side facilities”, the need for dredging and land reclamation, and warns that “water circulation may be a problem” and that the development “may spoil the character of the bay.”

The report concludes that Marsaskala “is a pleasant site with a good atmosphere” but one “with limited potential” for the development of a marina.

But the idea of a yacht marina in the Marsaskala bay area resurfaced in the local plan approved in 2006, although the development was subject to appropriate studies including  an underwater archaeological survey. Other conditions included a financial feasibility study for the marina, and an environmental impact assessment by the developer. Moreover the development was linked to residential and commercial development on the site of the former national swimming pool at Żonqor, which has since then been transferred to the Sadeen Group of Jordan.

A report by the Malta Maritime Authority in 2009 concluded that a marina with 380 berths, including a breakwater and quay, would cost €24 million. The cost and environmental impact of the marina led its discarding, and a temporary marina operating from June to September with 80 berths near the Żonqor pool was proposed. One of the advantages cited was the vicinity to restaurants.

The report followed a 2006 strategic planning assessment for Marsaskala’s harbour, which referred to the need to minimise dredging, land reclamation and the size of the required breakwater due to the impact on water quality and Posidonia meadows.

The possible development of a yacht marina in Marsaskala was mentioned during the 2017 Budget speech as part of an ongoing strategy to improve Malta’s profile as a yachting centre while reinvigorating marine locations, such as those at Sa Maison and the Gzira Gardens project.

Subsequently, Transport Malta issued a call for bids for the design, construction and operation of a yacht marina in Marsaskala in June 2018.  The call was reissued in the past days.

As now proposed, the layout of the marina is expected to substantially increase the current berthing capacity to a minimum of at least 700 berths, while the concessionaire will also be expected to host and provide for a re-organisation of the current 567 berth-holders.

Excluding those 567 berth-holders, the marina should be organised with 20% dedicated to vessels of up to 12m long, 50% dedicated to vessels 13-23m long, 25% to vessels of 24 -36m, and the remaining 5% to vessels larger than 36m. Smaller vessels will be berthed in the inner part of the marina, whereas the larger vessels will be in the outer part.

The plans show the need for dredging – a practice which is damaging to the bay’s underwater habitat – in at least four different places. The plans also propose that land be reclaimed in three separate areas the total area of which would be of 16,000 square metres.