Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1178032
JAMES DEBONO OVER 2,300sq.m of Marsas- kala's seabed will be reclaimed for a waterpolo pitch and club- house, but two biologists have warned of the negative impact on protected sea grasses due to changes in sedimentation and water circulation. The development, proposed by government agency Sports Malta, was triggered by the al- location of the national pool in Zonqor for the development of the American University of Malta campus. According to a biological sur- vey by Julian Evans and Joseph Borg, the EU-protected Posi- donia meadows found just 20 to 50 metres away from shore include a small part earmarked for the development. The re- port warns that the construc- tion of a waterpolo pitch and clubhouse will obliterate the habitats and the species they support "including a small area with the priority habitat Posi- donia beds". The construction may also alter the sedimentation and hydrodynamic regime in its vicinity, with "the most likely negative impact on benthic habitats being a regression in the seagrass beds located out- side of the footprint of the de- velopment but within its area of influence". The effects will likely be greater for Posidonia oceanica than on other grasses, as this is more sensitive to environmen- tal changes. The bivalve Pinna nobilis, also a protected species found close to the develop- ment, "may not survive", the biologists said. The report shows that at pre- sent, the Posidonia meadows appeared somewhat stressed, with relatively short leaves. A few dead shells of the noble pen shell Pinna nobilis were also observed amongst the Posidonia beds, while a single living individual of this bivalve was recorded in the fine sand. In its own report the Environ- ment and Resources Authority has largely endorsed the con- cerns expressed in the Benthic Survey Report by the biolo- gists, but also refers to SCUBA survey held by ERA officials on 2 October 2019 which revealed that the live Pinna nobilis spec- imen documented by Borg is no longer present on the site. The ERA said the impact of the proposal on water circula- tion is still unclear and a hydro- dynamic study will be required. ERA will only reach a defini- tive conclusion on the project's impact following the outcome of a number of requested stud- ies including studies on wa- ter circulation, a traffic noise impact study and the deter- mination of the nature of the dredged material. One solution being consid- ered in the Project Develop- ment Statement presented by the applicant is the erection of a "geotextile curtain" to mini- mise the dispersion of silt that may damage the seagrasses. The proposed development The proposed development will include a restaurant, club- house and hall, constructed on the area at sea currently used for the mooring of pleas- ure craft during the summer months. Transport Malta has been consulted about the im- pact of the mooring and it tran- spires that none of these moor- ings are regularised. The facilities are to be con- structed along an existing promenade above a series of arches leading to a quay which in turn abuts the sea. The arched spaces beneath the promenade are not currently used. The entrance will be located at the existing promenade level and will consist of a small struc- ture housing a lift and staircase. The promenade will be extend- ed outwards towards the pitch and around 2,300sq.m will be reclaimed to make way for the proposal. The clubhouse will be housed beneath the prom- enade, which then opens onto the deck surrounding the pitch. The visual impact will be lim- ited because the clubhouse will be constructed at a lower level from the promenade in a way that will not block views to the other side of the bay. The planning application is still not publicly available on the PA's website as it is deemed technically 'incomplete' but a project development statement which includes the Benthic Study by Borg and Evans was published on the ERA website for public consultation. 8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 20 OCTOBER 2019 NEWS Position may be co-funded through European Union Funding/Bilateral Funds EU FUND SUPPORT OFFICER Applications are invited for the positions of EU Fund Support Officer in the Ministry for European Affairs and Equality. Applicants must be in possession of a recognised qualification at MQF Level 5 in Accounting, Business Management/Administration, Business Studies, Financial Services, Insurance, Marketing, Economics or Banking or a comparable professional qualification. Applications will be received at the Corporate Services Directorate, Ministry for European Affairs and Equality, 31B, Tal-Pilar, Marsamxett Road, Valletta, VLT 1850 by not later than noon of Friday, 25 th October, 2019. Further details may be obtained from the Government Gazette of 11 th October 2019. Application forms may be downloaded from: https://publicservice.gov.mt/en/people/Pages/PeopleResourcingandCompli ance/FormsandTemplates.aspx Marsaskala: seabed to be reclaimed for waterpolo pitch Biologists say the EU-protected Posidonia meadows found just 20 to 50 metres away from shore include a small part earmarked for the development of the waterpolo pitch