The decision to scrap the Marsascala marina is “permanent” and the government has no intention of reviving the plans in any way in the future, Prime Minister Robert Abela said on Wednesday.

Neither will the reorganisation of the moorings in any way create a smaller, reductive marina, he told journalists during a news conference on Wednesday morning.

“I am a resident there as well, and when we listened to the people we realised they feared the marina would take away their recreation spaces... After yesterday’s decision, there are no prospects of a marina. I am excluding that in the most categorical of ways,” he said.

During a Labour rally on Tuesday evening, Abela made a U-turn on the controversial plans to develop the yacht marina in Marsascala bay. He said the project would be “stopped at once” following widespread scepticism among locals.

Marsascala residents have held regular protests against the proposal since August, when Transport Malta first published a pre-qualification document that suggested most of the bay would be taken up by pontoons and yacht facilities.

Next target: Xemxija? 

On Wednesday, the Prime Minister did not exclude the future possibility of a Xemxija marina - the other locality where a marina can be built, according to 2006 local plans.

He told Times of Malta that any future plans for a marina will be drafted following consultation with all stakeholders, with the local council and with full consideration for residents’ needs.

Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg has been at the forefront of the Marsascala marina push, arguing that the rising number of pleasure boats being registered in the country makes an additional marina necessary. 

Notices that Marsascala residents were affixing to their doors, warning candidates that they are anti-marina. Photo: Moviment Graffiti

“Alternatively, you’ll need to allow people to bring their boats overland or else prohibit new boat registrations all along," Borg has argued. 

Borg had also argued earlier this month that opposition to the Marsascala plans was politically orchestrated, only for him to say later that he agreed with deputy prime minister Chris Fearne, who criticised the project.  

Asked on Wednesday whether his confidence in Borg has now been dented, Abela said that was "absolutely not" the case. 

"He delivers on large-scale projects with which he is entrusted. We had an ongoing open dialogue when it came to the marina project. He himself raised residents' sentiments. We sat down, discussed it and took this decision together."