Scuba and freedivers in Malta have long complained about the dangers posed to them by uncontrolled boating and fishing around the islands’ many popular wreck-sites, including surface collisions and entanglements.
Now it seems that their protests and petitions have been heard by the authorities, and they are celebrating the introduction of a “Conservation Areas Around Wrecks” scheme, which means the banning of non-dive boats and fishing at the nearshore sites of 21 popular ship and aircraft wrecks.
The Department of Fisheries & Aquaculture and Transport Malta have named a number of sites where vessels other than dive-boats are prohibited when divers are down and, in the cases of 13 of the wrecks, banned altogether.
Within the Conservation Areas only vessels engaged in recreational or technical diving operations are permitted to enter or moor, after notifying Valletta Vessel Traffic Services.
It is the responsibility of skippers of diving-support vessels to ensure that only appropriate signals in accordance with international conventions are used within the zone. All other vessels are required to maintain a safe distance and speed.
Spearfishing, trolling, set bottom lines, trammel, gill and entangling nets, demersal pots and traps are prohibited in the Conservation Areas, though with some exceptions.
The sites cover the following wrecks: Anadrian (St George’s Point); Barges 1 & 2, Imperial Eagle (Qawra Point); Blenheim bomber (Xrabb i-Ghogin); Cominoland, Hephaestus, Karwela, Xlendi (Xatt i-Ahmar); Bristol Beaufighter (Exiles Point); Scotts Craig (Ras il-Qammih), HMS Stubborn (Selmunett); Tug St Michael, P33, Tug 10 (Marsacala); P31 (Blue Lagoon); Pippo (Dahlet ix-Xilep); P29, Rozi (Cirkewwa); Tug 2 (il Ponta ta’ San Giljan); and Um el Faroud (Wied iz-Zurrieq).
Fishing gear such as trolling lines can however used if and when no dive-boat is flying a divers down flag, though this exception does not apply in the Cirkewwa, Marsacala, Qawra Point, Wied iz-Zurrieq and Xatt i-Ahmar areas.
Full details of the Conservation Areas Around Wrecks with their co-ordinates and limits are available on a downloadable document. Violations can be reported to Transport Malta.
Also on Divernet: UN ENDORSES MALTA’S WRECKLIFE PROJECT, MALTA: SPEARDIVER NABBED + AUTHORITIES SLAMMED FOR SCUBA INERTIA, TANKER TO DRAW MALTA WRECK-DIVERS, DIVE INTO MALTA’S VIRTUAL MUSEUM
