Updated 6.45pm, adds ERA statement
Qawra Point has been declared a nature reserve, banning all forms of trapping and hunting.
The development comes two hunting seasons after it was announced by then Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia in October 2021.
Then, Farrugia had said Qawra Point will be designated a no-hunting area.
He had made the statement following the shooting of four flamingos over Qawra.
Published on Tuesday, the new legal notice declares Qawra Point as a new nature reserve.
This means that all forms of capturing, hunting, collecting, trapping, killing or sale of any species or specimens of flora or fauna found in the area is now prohibited.
The notice also bans dumping of waste or rubble or the burying of chemical substances at Qawra Point.
Loud music or excessive noise or light is also banned, along with open fires or any commercial activity without a permit.
Anyone caught trying to capture, hunt or kill any specimens can be slapped with a fine of not less than €750, but not more than €5,000 for each specimen for the first offence.
On a second or subsequent offence, a person can be fined not less than €1,500 but not more than €10,000 for each specimen, or imprisoned for up to two years.
The notice bans any activities or interventions that can damage or negatively impact the biodiversity, geomorphological features, and landscape of the area.
Following the shooting of the flamingos, anti-hunting organisation Birdlife had called for the area to be declared a no-hunting zone in the past.
In a statement later, the Environment and Resources Authority said Qawra Point, a small peninsula off Qawra, in St Paul’s Bay, is an area of ecological importance due to its coastal communities and migratory species.
Its habitats include maritime plant and animal species that are native or endemic to the Maltese Islands.
The area is also a major route for various waterbirds and waders, particularly due to its vicinity to protected wetlands and other important bird staging posts, including Is-Simar, Is-Salini, l-Għadira s-Safra and the Għallis Rocks, as well as the St Paul’s Islands Nature Reserve, further north.
Besides its natural significance, the site also holds interesting cultural heritage features, including concentric rings carved in the rock.
Almost completely encircled by the sea, Qawra Point in an area that is very popular for leisure walking and bathing.
The nature reserve will remain open to the public, provided that it is not accessed with motor vehicles.
Notwithstanding such restrictions, selected activities may be allowed subject to a permit from ERA, following an appropriate assessment of potential impacts and applicable mitigation measures.