Save Our Shores exhibition at City Gate

Friends of the Earth Malta (FoEM) is holding an exhibition at Tritons Square in Valletta highlighting the social and environmental impacts of Malta’s growing cruise liner, marina, and shipping industries on coastal communities and marine ecosystems.

It is also gathering signatures to a petition calling for protected public access to Malta’s coast and sea, protection from pollution and protection for natural ecosystems. 

The petition can be accessed at  www.saveourshores.eu. 

The Save Our Shores exhibition is the result of a year-long investigation and collaboration between FoEM, photographer Darrin Zammit Lupi, and journalist Julian Delia.

Through a combination of photojournalism, research, and community engagement, the exhibition sheds light on the realities faced by coastal communities across Malta and Gozo.

Rory Apap Brown, from Clean Air for the Grand Harbour, stated: “Almost daily, cruise liners dock in the Grand Harbour and keep their engines running for hours — floating power stations burning fuel metres from front doors in Floriana, Cospicua, Valletta, and Senglea. And it's not just the exhaust. It's the noise — onboard parties echoing across the harbour and amplified music. This is a daily reality faced by residents living around the Grand Harbour. Meanwhile, the shore-to-ship power infrastructure remains underutilised, with only one in 10 ships connecting. As a result, respiratory illnesses in the region have increased."

Data from FoEM’s pollution sensor shows that emissions exceed both World Health Organisation guidelines and EU legal limits.