A bid by landowners to overturn an official decision designating a zone between Naxxar and Mosta as a Natura 2000 protected site has been dismissed by the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal.

The Environment and Resources Authority had, in 2019, designated Tal-Wej, an area of 203,484 square metres, as a protected site and a Special Area of Conservation in view of its temporary freshwater rockpools that form in outcrops of the Lower Coralline Limestone. The pools host flora such as the Maltese Waterwort (Elatine gussonei), the Maltese Horned Pondweed (Zannichellia melitensis) and fauna such as the Tadpole Shrimp (Triops cancriformis) and the Painted Frog (Discoglossus pictus). Additionally, the area also hosts garrigue and grassland habitats.

A number of landowners had objected to the ERA decision, which was, however, confirmed by the tribunal on Tuesday.  It underlined the importance of protecting the site in its entirety, as part of the European Natura 2000 ecological network. 

The area is also listed as a Class A archaeological site, forming part of a wider cultural landscape that includes cart ruts, dolmens, ancient quarries, rock-cut tombs, corbelled huts and a 16th century chapel dedicated to Santa Margherita.