In terms of marine conservation, Malta’s achievements have been phenomenal to date, given that 35 per cent of our 25-nautical-mile fisheries management zone, equivalent to 4,142 square kilometres (which stacks up to 14 times the terrestrial footprint of our archipelago) are currently enclosed within marine Natura 2000 sites, otherwise known in layman’s terms as marine protected areas (MPAs).
Just to put such a statistic into perspective, according to the latest Natura 2000 barometer issued by the EU, Malta’s figure is higher than that of Belgium, Bulgaria and Lithuania and is almost equivalent to that of Croatia.
Within the ambit of the European biodiversity strategy, which came on stream last May, the EU is pledging to legally protect 30 per cent of its land resources and 30 per cent of its marine waters by 2030, in line with similar commitments taken at UN level.
This extensive expanse of ‘protected’ blue is spread within 18 different sites, which have warranted protection either by virtue of the protected habitats or of the protected bird species they harbour.
Most of this prodigious designation, to date, has not extended beyond the legal notices in question, however, with the actuation of the respective MPA management plans still yet to start.
The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) has been painstakingly conducting a broad consultation exercise with all relevant marine stakeholders since 2017, negotiating a tricky compromise between the various competing interests of the same stakeholders. This long-winded process is finally bearing fruit, with the same MPA conservation objectives and proposed management measures being fleshed out.
The overarching aims of the proposed measures include the protection and restoration of seminal marine habitats, such as Posidonia seagrass meadows, reefs and marine caves by mitigating existing pressures (like boat anchoring) and over-exploitation through the introduction of measures such as ecological mooring facilities. The implementation of such measures is in line within similar measures incorporated within the European biodiversity strategy, which aims to reduce damage to the seabed and also bycatch in fisheries and will necessarily entail the adoption of new practices.
Given that old habits die hard, such change will encounter resistance from some quarters and politicians might be coy about courting unpopularity.
One such measure that immediately springs to mind is the introduction of ‘no-take’ zones as a means of safeguarding the most sensitive of sites and populations, which might be viewed as an intrusion on current rights enjoyed by users.
It is time for the current environment minister to be bold
A viewpoint that is almost universally held by those communities (such as scuba divers, conscientious fishers, snorkelers, etc.) who have been clamouring for ages for effective marine conservation, is that an emphasis should initially be placed on the introduction of a limited number of effective MPAs, rather than aiming for a concerted management of the complete set of designated MPAs.
This would avoid an overkill scenario and ensure that the initial MPAs where management measures are implemented act as good practice showcases to further convince sceptics of the need for such protected areas.
Financial constraints should also not be underestimated, given that the cost of fully implementing the management measures being fielded by the ERA will probably run into the millions of euros.
Hence, all the more reason for embarking on an initial soft implementation strategy, whereby most measures are implemented in a limited number of MPAs, especially those close to shore, which can be regularly monitored for efficacy and compliance purposes.
The scuba diving community has long proffered its services on a voluntary basis to spearhead the management of popular diving sites, such as Ċirkewwa.
Marine conservation has finally come of age on the international scene as a priority for policymakers. European-funded projects, such as the MERCES (Marine Ecosystem Restoration in Changing European Seas), have tangibly demonstrated the viability of field interventions to restore vulnerable habitats (like seagrass meadows, algal and coral communities) and species (such as Noble Pen Shell) in different European seas.
Such a renewed momentum in favour of marine conservation could not come any earlier, given that deep-seabed mining technology is maturing and the rat race to secure swathes of the seabed for the extraction of precious minerals is gathering pace.
Human impacts on the coastal and marine environment are so pervasive that there is hardly an iota of this vast blue dimension that is in a pristine state and, thus, completely untouched by the human footprint, as will emerge in the UN’s Second Global Ocean Integrated Assessment that is scheduled to be released in the coming months.
Once the consultation process has taken its course, political will becomes imperative for the proposed management measures to see the light of day.
It is, thus, time for the current environment minister to be bold and audacious in getting our MPAs off the starting blocks by championing the management measures being proposed by the ERA and convincing cabinet that approving them is the right course of action to take.
In so doing, the minister would ensure he leaves a tangible legacy behind, in view of the fact that the introduction of effective MPAs has always eluded previous administrations.