Marsaskala seabed to be reclaimed for waterpolo pitch

Over 2,300sq.m of Marsaskala’s seabed will be reclaimed for a waterpolo pitch and clubhouse, but two biologists have warned of the negative impact on protected sea grasses due to changes in sedimentation and water circulation.

The development, proposed by government agency Sports Malta, was triggered by the allocation of the national pool in Zonqor for the development of the American University of Malta campus.

According to a biological survey by Julian Evans and Joseph Borg, the EU-protected Posidonia meadows found just 20 to 50 metres away from shore include a small part earmarked for the development. The report warns that the construction of a waterpolo pitch and clubhouse will obliterate the habitats and the species they support “including a small area with the priority habitat Posidonia beds”.

The construction may also alter the sedimentation and hydrodynamic regime in its vicinity, with “the most likely negative impact on benthic habitats being a regression in the seagrass beds located outside of the footprint of the development but within its area of influence”.

The effects will likely be greater for Posidonia oceanica than on other grasses, as this is more sensitive to environmental changes. The bivalve Pinna nobilis, also a protected species found close to the development, “may not survive”, the biologists said.

The report shows that at present, the Posidonia meadows appeared somewhat stressed, with relatively short leaves. A few dead shells of the noble pen shell Pinna nobilis were also observed amongst the Posidonia beds, while a single living individual of this bivalve was recorded in the fine sand.

In its own report the Environment and Resources Authority has largely endorsed the concerns expressed in the Benthic Survey Report by the biologists, but also refers to SCUBA survey held by ERA officials on 2 October 2019 which revealed that the live Pinna nobilis specimen documented by Borg is no longer present on the site.

The ERA said the impact of the proposal on water circulation is still unclear and a hydrodynamic study will be required.

ERA will only reach a definitive conclusion on the project’s impact following the outcome of a number of requested studies including studies on water circulation, a traffic noise impact study and the determination of the nature of the dredged material.

One solution being considered in the Project Development Statement presented by the applicant is the erection of a “geotextile curtain” to minimise the dispersion of silt that may damage the seagrasses.

The proposed development

The proposed development will include a restaurant, clubhouse and hall, constructed on the area at sea currently used for the mooring of pleasure craft during the summer months. Transport Malta has been consulted about the impact of the mooring and it transpires that none of these moorings are regularised.

The facilities are to be constructed along an existing promenade above a series of arches leading to a quay which in turn abuts the sea. The arched spaces beneath the promenade are not currently used.

The entrance will be located at the existing promenade level and will consist of a small structure housing a lift and staircase. The promenade will be extended outwards towards the pitch and around 2,300sq.m will be reclaimed to make way for the proposal. The clubhouse will be housed beneath the promenade, which then opens onto the deck surrounding the pitch.

The visual impact will be limited because the clubhouse will be constructed at a lower level from the promenade in a way that will not block views to the other side of the bay.  

The planning application is still not publicly available on the PA’s website as it is deemed technically ‘incomplete’ but a project development statement which includes the Benthic Study by Borg and Evans was published on the ERA website for public consultation.