Fishermen hit hard as Storm Harry lashes coastal areas

Fishermen across Malta endured a sleepless night as they feared their boats would be damaged or swept away by Storm Harry, which struck hardest in the country's south.

By 7am on Tuesday, wind speeds in Valletta had reached 56 knots (about 103 kilometres per hour), as fishermen across Malta anxiously assessed the damage to their boats. The Malta Met Office warned of very rough seas with southeast becoming east swells. 

In Marsaxlokk, small boats ended up washed onto the road. In nearby Birżebbuġa, a sailing boat ended up crashed against the shore. 

The Facebook page of the organisation Għaqda Sajjieda Attivi shared a video on Tuesday morning showing stormy conditions in Marsaxlokk. The video showed rough grey waves crashing against the shore and seawater reaching at least ten metres inland by 10.30 am. 

In the clip, a member of the fishermen’s organisation walks along the coast, commenting on the extent of the damage.

“A considerable amount of damage has occurred to these boats,” he says. “Look at the damage to these traditional luzzus,” The video shows the traditional luzzus slowly breaking apart in the rough seas.

“Do you see what the fishermen from the south go through?” the fisherman asks. “We can’t keep going on like this!” he pleads.

Severe winds damaged traditional luzzus according to Fishing association Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

'It's going to get worse here'

The fisherman attributes the destruction not only to the storm, but also to the breakwater in the area, which he said is not long enough to offer adequate protection.

A 110-metre breakwater project at Ponta tal-Qrejten in Marsaxlokk was completed in 2021 to safeguard fishermen during such storms. However, according to the fishermen’s association and fishermen who spoke to Times of Malta, the structure needs to be extended to adequately shelter vessels in rough seas. 

A sailing boat crashed against shore in Birżebbuġa. Photo: Jonathan Borg

A spokesperson for the organisation said Marsaxlokk fishermen are bracing themselves.

“It is bad here. And it will only get worse by midday as the storm will be coming directly towards us. We definitely need more protection and extending the breakwater in the future would help do that.”

St Julian’s

In St Julian’s, videos sent to Times of Malta show seawater breaching the shoreline at Spinola Bay, reaching areas close to seafront restaurants.

One fisherman from the area, Clayton Borg, said: “I barely slept last night. I was up until 3am and woke up not long after to check on the boat.” He added: “I know even if something happens, I can’t do anything. All I can do is watch, but I still want to know what’s going on.”

However, no damage was reported by St Julian’s fishermen as of the time of writing.

“Thankfully nothing is damaged so far. I just lost the cover of my smaller boat,” said another fisherman. However, this storm showed we need a better breakwater here and in Marsaxlokk. It is not enough here, but there it is even worse," Borg said. 

Authorities offer help

The Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture issued a statement on social media on Tuesday, urging any fishermen whose boats suffered damage to contact the department.

The department requested photos or videos as proof, and encouraged fishermen to retain any invoices or receipts related to repairs.

The department said further information would be provided in the coming days.

Weather 

According to the Met Office, weather conditions are expected to ease gradually throughout Tuesday. Wind speeds are forecast to drop from a high of Force 8 to Force 6 by the end of the day.

A spokesperson said the “very strong” gale-force easterly winds would shift to “rather strong to strong” southeasterly winds as the weather system moves over northern Tunisia. Winds are expected to calm further overnight, although cloudy and rainy conditions are likely to persist. The Met Office also reported that dust was currently suspended in the air.