Ducks killed at il-Maghluq

Ducks have been killed at il-Maghluq in Marsascala, a place also known as the duck pond. The salt marshland, near the centre of Marsascala and home to dozens of ducks and their young, was recently subjected to vandalism and resulted in the killing of two ducks, Nature Trust said in a statement. It said more ducks were seen floating dead during the next few days. Nature Trust executive president Vince Attard said that now is the hatching season and many of the ducks sat on their eggs, making them more vulnerable to danger. The NGO urged the public especially those who have been throwing stones at the ducks, to take a step back and show some humanity to these living creatures. “We shouldn't tolerate such behaviour and such incidents should be reported immediately to the police,” Mr Attard said. Il-Maghluq is a Natura 2000 site categorised as a Special Area of Conservation. The water gathers from the surrounding villages and meet the sea water from the inner bay. The area was used as an early form of aquaculture until the middle of the 20th century. But when the road and promenade were built, the construction resulted in the severance of the flow between fresh and salt water,...