An agency tasked with safeguarding Malta’s environment on Tuesday pronounced itself “comfortable” with a contested nature permit paving the way for a temporary jetty to be built inside Balluta bay. 

In a short intervention during a 45-minute hearing contesting the permit, a representative from the Environment Resources Authority (ERA) said the regulator was comfortable with the nature permit it had issued. 

Such permits oblige their holders to carry out operations in a certain area in an environmentally sustainable manner.

The ERA representative accused objectors of trying to use the nature permit to attack the jetty development.

Two appeals have been filed by objectors: one against ERA for issuing the nature permit and another against the Planning Authority for approving the jetty permit. 

The PA’s decision to approve the permit came as a shock to St Julian’s residents in March, as the authority had previously indicated it would reject the proposal. 

Its approval means the St Julian’s water polo club will be allowed to build a temporary pontoon in the bay to be used for a hop-on, hop-off ferry service by the Fortina Group, which owns Captain Morgan ferries. 

Objectors have their say

Lawyer Claire Bonello told the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal that a ferry terminal bang in the middle of Balluta bay would impact the thousands of people who use the bay for swimming, kayaking, snorkelling and other activities. 

Ian Stafrace, representing Fortina Group, argued that swimmers stick to the designated swimming zones set up by Transport Malta. 

“People are not like tuna. They do not just swim in the swimming zones”, Bonello quipped. 

She argued that the whole bay is a designated swimming and diving zone, and giving a permit to a “massive” ferry to operate in the small bay would endanger people. 

Bonello noted that people are not allowed to swim in the vicinity of a pontoon. Apart from restricting people’s activities in the bay, the ferry would also impact their health as well as damage fauna in the area. 

St Julian’s mayor Albert Buttigieg said people swam not only by the coast but all around the bay. 

A picture of people swimming in the middle of the bay taken by Albert Buttigieg on Saturday.

He said this was one of the last places where people could swim in St Julian’s. Buttigieg said the jetty was also going to be placed right next to where children play water polo. 

A decision on the appeals was deferred.