Watch: Slime coats popular St Paul’s Bay swimming spot

Archbishop Charles Scicluna has slammed corporate greed after a popular swimming spot in St Paul’s Bay was left covered in oily slime. 

The Archbishop shared photos and video on X showing a slick of white sludge covering a stretch of water on the St Paul’s Bay seafront that is popular with bathers.  

“The sea is horribly slimy this morning at Sirens bathing zone in Malta’s St Paul’s Bay due to a sticky, oily substance which seems to originate from fish farms. Another sad instance in our country of the many paying for the enrichment of the few,” Scicluna wrote. 

Slime and odour, sometimes of decaying fish, have been a constant, especially in the St Paul's Bay area, where a number of fish farms are located. Until last year, the Environment and Resources Authority issued a total of 29 administrative fines and stop orders against fish farms since the environmental watchdog was established in 2017.

A reader also sent in photos of the St Paul's Bay slick, but suggested the origin could be the boats moored in the area. 

“Floating heavens-knows-what in the sea in St Paul’s Bay. This needs serious attention as once reported to #cleanmalta [the Cleansing and Maintenance Division] nothing is ever done about it. No doubt coming from boats moored nearby. Dangerous for people swimming,” she said. 

Despite the presence of the slime, some bathers took a dip nonetheless. Photo: Archbishop Charles Scicluna / X

Sea sludge was a regular occurrence on Maltese beaches for a number of years, until it reached dramatic levels, prompting authorities to issue fines and enforcement orders against leading operators. 

However, that has not stopped the slime from reappearing from time to time. 

In 2022, the sea off Marscascala was contaminated with a sticky, sludge-like substance, while slime was also spotted at bays in Pembroke, Balluta, and Exiles. 

Last year, Qala mayor Paul Buttiġieġ angrily complained to the authorities and fish farm operators after slime washed up at popular Ħondoq Bay over the past few days.

He said he suspected that the slime had drifted from a fish farm off St Paul's Bay.