Dead fish are dumped in smelly Magħluq

Dead fish have been dumped in Marsascala’s Magħluq, a Natura 2000 site, which is already notorious for its stench – especially during the hot season. The dead fish were spotted by residents, who complained about the state of the saline marshland, home to the endangered Maltese killifish. Up until last year, the site was undergoing a conservation project, which included the transfer of ducks to Manoel Island, after being tested against salmonella, avian flu and Newcastle disease. When contacted this week, an Environment Ministry spokesman said the ministry itself, the Environment and Resources Authority and the Parks directorate were working together on rehabilitation works planned for the protected site and species found there. The site fell under the Natura 2000 management plans, which were approved last December. However, work on the marshland can only start once the dry and hot summer period is over, because neither the killifish population reinforcement nor the planting of species is conducive to such an environment, the spokesman said. Notwithstanding this, the ministry and the Public Cleansing Department remain committed to regularly cleaning of the area, he...