Swimmers in Marsaxlokk were forced back on land on Sunday when large slicks of slime washed up at St Peter’s Pool. 

Some said they could see pieces of fish in the grey substance which also smelled of fish.   

Marsaxlokk mayor Steven Grech expressed his disappointment when shown pictures of the slick, adding that such cases, fortunately, did not happen often and similar previous slicks had been cleaned up quickly by the authorities.  

The CEO of the Maltese Federation of Aquaculture Producers, Charlon Gouder, stressed that the slick could not have come from tuna farms as feeding operations did not take place at this time of year.  

“For sure it’s not from tuna,” he emphasised, adding that Malta’s tuna farming season was not due to start until later in the year.  

The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) confirmed it was investigating the incident.  

The Maltese Federation of Aquaculture Producers insisted the slick could not have been caused by tuna farming.

In August, bathers elsewhere were prevented from swimming when slicks similar to that seen on Sunday washed up in Pembroke, Balluta, and Exiles. 

Such contaminants have been a point of contention in the country since their appearance in 2018, following which the multi-million-euro fish farming sector announced a series of self-regulatory measures to combat the problem.  

Among the measures was a pledge to use sea booms to collect oily residue from fish feed, while in July last year the Environment Ministry announced that ERA had been equipped with its first boat, saying this would allow the regulator to better enforce environmental laws at sea. 

In January, the government announced it was backtracking on plans to establish a new tuna farm off Malta’s north coast following questions from Times of Malta asking why the planned North Aquaculture Zone had been removed from the agenda of a Planning Authority meeting. 

The move followed the publication of an article highlighting the “grave concerns” raised by Qala local council over the planned tuna farm amid fears the waste generated by the facility could lead to oil slicks as large as 10m³, washing up in areas including Ħondoq ir-Rummien and Comino’s Blue Lagoon. 

“This application is being reconsidered, since we believe that pristine marine zones should be protected,” the ministry said at the time. 

“Other aspects, such as the effect of this tuna zone on nearby fishing grounds and key touristic areas were also taken in consideration.”