Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1547166
17 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 18 OCTOBER 2026 NEWS Jerma's accidental rewilding: Bat roosts and lizards Nearly two decades after the Jerma Palace Hotel closed its doors in March 2007, its ruins have become an improvised refuge for wildlife and vegetation. But now, its redevelopment threatens bat roosts and other habitats as James Debono discovers CRACKED concrete, abandoned corridors and neglected planter beds are unlikely places to look for a lesson in rewilding. Yet, since the Jerma Palace Hotel closed its doors in March 2007, nature has been quietly reclaiming its ruins. The decaying landmark on the Marsaskala coast has gradually transformed into an acciden- tal laboratory for the ecological changes that can unfold when people leave a place behind. Vegetation has taken root in the decaying structures, lizards bask on perimeter walls, and the hotel's inaccessible dark interior spaces probably provide shelter for bats. Beneath the accumulated leaf litter, soil organisms and micro- organisms contribute to the eco- logical processes sustaining this improvised wilderness. A terrestrial ecology impact as- sessment submitted with plans to redevelop the 44,812sq.m site documents this gradual transfor- mation, while warning that dem- olition and construction of a new resort could destroy potential habitats established during years of neglect. Prepared by environmental con- sultants Sacha Dunlop and Elena Portelli of AIS Environment Ltd for Jerma Developments Ltd as part of a wider Environmental Impact Assessment, the report identifies the loss of potential bat roosts as a major adverse ecolog- ical impact. During the May 2026 survey, ecologists could not access the hotel's central and northern in- terior, where shadowy concrete spaces and unlit corridors could provide potential roosting sites for bats. Entryways were blocked by large concrete blocks, pre- venting a physical inspection of these areas. Although no bat roosts had previously been recorded on site, their presence is consid- ered probable. Abandoned structures can provide suitable roosting crevices, while the adja- cent coastal garigue offers poten- tial foraging grounds. The uncertainty makes a pre-construction survey by a cer- tified bat specialist a key mitiga- tion measure. Before demolition begins, the specialist must in- spect the building's interior to es- tablish whether bats are present, identify any species found and safely relocate individuals before works commence. To compensate for the loss of potential roosting habitat, the consultants also recommend constructing dedicated bat roost- ing areas or installing artificial bat boxes within the new devel- opment, providing alternative refuges after the hotel is demol- ished. An unexpected refuge The assessment records an en- demic Filfla wall lizard (Podarcis filfolensis) basking along the perimeter walls. The sheltered grounds and s t r u c t u r e s could also p r o v i d e cover for M o o r i s h wall geckos, W e s t e r n whip snakes, M e d i t e r r a n e a n chameleons, Algerian hedgehogs and Maltese pygmy shrews, although these are iden- tified as potential inhabitants rather than confirmed sightings. Vegetation has similarly colo- nised the abandoned complex. Protected caper bushes (Cappa- ris orientalis) grow directly from degraded structural surfaces, while cultivated Canary Island spurge (Euphorbia canariensis) and hoary stock (Matthiola sp.) survive in former planter beds. The site also contains extensive growth of invasive Hottentot fig (Carpobrotus edulis) and great reed (Arundo donax), alongside agave plants. Established trees in- clude a weeping fig (Ficus daniel- la), date palms (Phoenix dactylif- era) and ten protected tamarisk trees (Tamarix sp.). Decades of accumulated leaf lit- ter have also fostered communi- ties of soil-dwelling invertebrates and microorganisms, which con- tribute to nutrient cycling and sustain the site's ecological func- tions. Jerma's ecological transforma- tion is not necessarily a story of pristine nature returning. The site contains invasive vegetation alongside protected plants and potential wildlife habitat. But its abandonment offers a glimpse of how even heavily altered envi- ronments can acquire ecological functions when human activity recedes. Protected trees to be transplanted All 10 protected tamarisk trees earmarked for removal are to be carefully transplanted to the sea-facing edge of the new resort. The landscaping scheme in- cludes 1,325sq.m of soft land- scaping planted with salt-tolerant native species. Excavated soil is to be retained for reuse in these ar- eas, helping establish vegetation within the redeveloped site. Further measures are proposed to limit disturbance to wildlife during construction and after the resort opens. Night-time con- struction is prohibited under the recommended measures, while permanent lighting must use downward-facing, warm-wave- length fixtures to reduce distur- bance to nocturnal fauna. Acoustic barriers and enforced quiet hours are also proposed to limit the effects of heavy excava- tion and construction noise. The consultants conclude that, with the recommended mitiga- tion measures, the residual im- pact on local bat populations could be reduced from major to moderate. The redevelopment raises a question that extends be- yond the fate of a derelict hotel though: How much of the eco- logical value accumulated over nearly 20 years of abandonment can survive the site's transfor- mation? Artificial roosts, transplanted trees and new landscaping may replace some of what is lost, but the existing building itself has become a potential habitat. The proposed redevelopment envisages two eight-storey blocks rising above two base- ment levels, with a 134-room five-star hotel, 155 residential apartments and 258 serviced apartments. The project also includes re- tail and catering outlets, a be- low-ground shopping mall and 570 parking spaces, alongside a landscaped public plaza and 13,600sq.m of public open space. The Jerma Palace Hotel has been closed since March 2007