Land Reclamation 2005 Carl Bro Is

MEPA
Malta Environment & Planning Authority
Land Reclamation Study

Project Identification Report
MEPA
LIBRARY
MEPA
Malta Environment & Planning Authority
Published:
Project no. :
Prepared
6 January 2005
80.4201.01
Jan R0nberg and Carsten Skov
Land Reclamation Study, Malta

Draft Project Identification Report
PAGE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Scope and Objective
12
The Project Identification Report
1.3
Acknowledgements
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
2.1
Summary
2.2
Recommendations
PROFILE OF THE STUDY AREA
10
3.1
Geology and Hydrogeology
10
3.2
Coastal Zone and Marine Environment
10
3.3
Tourism
11
3.4
Industry and Services
11
CURRENT COASTAL ACTIVITIES
12
4.1
Current Practice - Existing and Predicted Developments in the Sea
12
LEGISLATION AND POLICIES
21
5.1
National Legislation and Policies Concerning Land Reclamation
21
5.2
International
24
5.3
EU Environmental Policies and Best Practice in EU Member States
MANAGEMENT OF EXCAVATION, CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION WASTE31
6.1
The Solid Waste Management Strategy
31
6.2
Waste Data and Existing Facilities
32
DEPOSITION OF WASTE AT SEA
35
7.1
Purpose of Land Reclamation
35
7.2
Shoreline Extension
36
Creation of Islands
Technical aspects
37
37
7.3
7.3.1
Legislation
24

7.3.2
7.3.3
7.3.4
Environmental aspects
Cost estimates
Social and Economic Benefits and Constraints
Deep Sea Deposition

7.4.1
Artificial Reefs
7.4.2
Windmills
7.4.3
Dumping
8
IDENTIFICATION AND INITIAL EVALUAJION OF POTENTIAL MARINE AREAS

FOR LAND RECLAMATION
49
Site Identification Approach
8.1.1
Elimination of Unsatisfactory Areas
8.1.2
Highlighting of Promising Areas
A:
B
C:
Institutions and Persons Met during the Identification Mission

Maps on Current Coastal Activities - MEPA
Draft Terms of Reference for Additional Studies

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) has agreed to commission
Carl Bro International to undertake a Land Reclamation Study in accordance with the
conditions outlined below.
Most of the solid waste generated in the Maltese Islands originates from construction
and demolition and currently only limited waste disposal options are available. It is
frequently recommended to dispose of inert waste at sea, with the possibility of
increasing the present landmass through sea reclamation. The purpose of this Study
is to identify the potential for waste disposal at sea, with respect to construction and
demolition waste in the Maltese Islands, including land reclamation.
1. Current practice, existing and predicted developments at sea (fish farms,

navigation requirements, bunkering facilities, fisheries, areas to be designated
for offshore wind farms, marine protected areas, leisure & tourism etc.), local
data, legislation and policies, including International Conventions and Protocols
concerning land reclamation.
4. Predicted amounts of construction waste that will need marine deposition within
the next 20 years.
5. Identification of ways how deposition of construction waste can be carried out at
sea (deep sea deposition, extension of the shoreline, creation of islands,
construction of tourist, recreational and other facilities, etc.), indicating for each
option the environmental, social and economic benefits and constraints.
6. Identification and initial evaluation of potential marine sites, methodologies, etc.,
indicating for each the acceptable options and recommending a preferred option
for implementation.
7. Indicate additional baseline and feasibility studies necessary for further project
preparation, including environmental impact assessments.

The current Project Identification Report presents the results of work conducted
during 2 weeks in November 2004. The consultants worked one week in Malta in
close cooperation with MEPA officials and representatives from other institutions, who
all provided substantial background information for the study. A list of institutions and
individuals met during the identification study is attached as Appendix A.
Chapter 2 of the report includes a summary of the report and the Consultant's
recommendation;
Chapter 3 provides a profile of Malta on specific issues of relevance for the study;
Chapter 4 describes the current coastal activities;
Chapter 5 includes an overview of national and international legislation and
policies concerning land reclamation;
Chapter 6 deals with the current management of excavation, construction and
demolition waste, including estimates on waste amounts that may be used for land
reclamation purposes;
Chapter 7 describes the principles of land reclamation including technical,
environmental and financial aspects;
Chapter 8 identifies and evaluates potential areas for land reclamation along the
Maltese coastline; and
Chapter 9 presents the Consultant's recommendations on further steps to be taken
related to the planning and implementation of a land reclamation project.
The report is supported by a number of appendices, including draft terms of reference

for additional and more detailed studies necessary for the proper planning of a land
reclamation project.
The consultants and officials from MEPA and WasteServ have visited major waste
management sites, limestone quarries and a number of areas along the coastline,
where artificial islands might be established in front of the coastline.
Carl Bro International would like to thank all persons and institutions met for their
keen interest in the project. At the operational level, we would like to the officials from
MEPA for the daily liaison and coordination during the visit to Malta.

A summary of the main findings from the Project Identification

Consultant's recommendations is presented below.
Study and the
The coastal zone is an important natural resource, fulfilling environmental,

economic and social roles in the development of the Maltese Islands. Ecologically
the coast is important since it supports a number of rare and diverse habitats
The natural harbours situated around the islands have been extensively used for
commercial and tourism developments. This is particularly noticeable on the east
and north-eastern coasts of Malta;
Tourism is the key service industry in the Maltese Islands and has grown to
become one of the Islands' most important economic activities. In 1960 tourist
arrivals totalled nearly 20,000, by 1990 these numbers had exceeded 870,000 and
in 1998 tourist arrivals totalled 1.2 million. The majority of tourist developments are
concentrated on the east and north coasts of Malta, including Sliema, Paceville
and Bugibba.
The majority of industrial development in the Maltese Islands is concentrated in the

Grand Harbour, Marsaxlokk Bay and Central Local Plan Areas. Industry in the
Maltese Islands includes manufacturing, shipbuilding and quarrying. Industry in the
manufacturing sector includes textile and clothing, metal products, machinery,
transport equipment and food and beverages.
The marine waters along the coastal perimeter are presently used for a series of
commercial and recreational interest. Amongst these are in particular fishing and
fish farming, boating, bathing and diving. Further offshore oil exploration and
commercial ships traffic dominate together with fish trawling.
The national policies and legislation related to coastal environment are moving
from the initial into more regulated stages. While still suffering from a deficit of data
and information on the coastal and marine environment, the policies are directed
towards sustainable usage of the coastal resources. The lack of data however
hampers the effort to adhere to EU environmental legislation in the protection of
species and the habitats that support them.
Extensive stone quarrying activities, in particular soft-stone quarrying, results in

considerable material wastage and in the generation of limestone residues in the
form of waste gravel and crushed rocks and dusty and powdery wastes. Most of
this material is deposited in or around the quarry from which it is generated.
Excavation works, and construction and demolition activities generate large waste
amounts, much of which comprise soft stone and are essentially inert. Although
some materials are reused or recycled as part of reclamation or landscaping
schemes, the bulk of these wastes is currently deposited in disused quarries
Some of the waste is even illegally dumped / fly-tipped.

The Solid Waste Management Strategy, approved in 2001, includes clear policies
and aims on the reduction of construction and demolition waste. According to the
Strategy, the Building Industry Consultative Council together with representatives
from relevant Government bodies are supposed to undertake a number of tasks,
primarily aimed to recover and recycle materials from excavations, demolition and
construction wastes. Reality shows that until now such activities have had no or
only very limited effect, since the major part of these waste amounts are still being
deposited at disused quarries. It is estimated that the disposal capacity in these
quarries will expire within the next 5 years. The annual need for disposal capacity
is in the order of one million m3.
Tied with the issue of inert waste management is that of land reclamation. Land
reclamation projects have to be justified as they result in a substantial impact on
the natural processes within coastal areas. The engineering works and financial
resources required to fulfil such projects are high. Structural stability is essential as
the reclaimed areas are continuously exposed to wave action and therefore require
appropriate construction materials and operations to ensure the long-term
existence of the reclaimed areas.
The majority of reclamation projects carried out elsewhere are constructed on

relative shallow waters to facilitate construction works and keep costs at its lowest
possible level. This applies to cases such as the land reclamation in Holland,
airport of Hong Kong, reclamation in Shanghai and creation of islands in Malaysia.
In deeper waters, the use of land has been designated to very high value activities.
E.g. the reclamation at 30 m depth in Singapore expanding the container port,
which represents an essential cornerstone in the country economy.
The main purpose of any land reclamation is to create high value land, the value of
which is above the construction cost. The value of the land is hence tied to the
subsequent activities to be placed on the land. The Maltese government has
decided, not to provide financial support to any land reclamation projects, but
rather promote private developers to initiate any such reclamation activities, based
on economically self-sustainable projects. The activities foreseen on the reclaimed
land, are hence required to create revenues that enable both land reclamation and
the cost of establishing the activities on the reclaimed land.
The location of a land reclamation project close to the shore is likely to cause
environmental impact in coastal areas which sustain ecologically sensitive benthic
habitats. The impacts will most probably be largest during the implementation of
the land reclamation project, but since any impact depends on the construction,
the construction methods applied and the location, the magnitude of the impact is
at present not assessable. At least three likely types of impacts are envisaged to
arise from land reclamation, namely increased turbidity of the water column,
obliteration of the benthic environment1 on the land reclamation site and
smothering of benthic habitats from the settlement of suspended particles. The
spatial extent of these impacts will amongst others depend on local current
conditions.

There are in principle no technical constraints to land reclamation with respect to

water depth. It is however obvious, that the economic implications of marine
constructing increases with increasing water depth. Hence land reclamation from a
commercial point of view, should remain within relatively shallow waters. Even at
shallow depths however, the cost of reclamation is such, that only very high priced
activities can sustain the cost of reclamation.
Under consideration of various criteria for excluding and highlighting areas, six
relatively large coastal areas have been identified as search areas for potential
land reclamation sites
No matter where a land reclamation project is implemented, it will cause a certain

impact on various conditions, including environmental, commercial, technical and
financial interests. Therefore, the strategy on how to chose a site should thus be
based on the recognition of these interests followed by a step-wise approach in
which at first unsatisfactory areas are excluded and subsequently more promising
areas are identified. In this way, the search area cal1' be narrowed down and
successively the detail level on subjects to be considered will be increased.
Under consideration of various criteria for excluding and highlighting areas, the
Consultant has identified six relatively large coastal areas as search areas for
potential land reclamation sites. It is recommended that these six areas - or at
least a selection of them - shall be investigated in further details in parallel with the
execution of a pre-feasibility study, before a principal decision is taken on whether
land reclamation is considered realistic under Maltese conditions. It is
recommended that such investigations and studies be carried out by the
Government prior to the involvement of the private sector in possible land
reclamation projects.
At present it seems, that land reclamation on a self-sustainable commercial basis

may most likely be propelled by construction of housing for residential purposes or
related to the tourism/hotel sector. If this is the case, the findings of this
identification study suggests, that reclamation of an artificial island would be more
advantageous in the areas 1, 2 and 3 on the north eastern coast of Malta, with a
limited distance to the existing urban environment. It is noted, that Area 2, outside
Sliema is located close to other urban tourist resorts and residential areas with a
high proportion of activities centred in this area. This location would be in line with
strategy outlined in the tourism issue paper, highlighting the need for concentration
of development and extensions to existing developments. It should however be
strongly emphasized, that these considerations are based on the present state of
incomplete information and knowledge. The proposed baseline study involving
updating of environmental information is needed to acquire an improved decision
basis.
A land reclamation project may provide a temporary solution to the approaching

lack of disposal capacity for inert waste. However, land reclamation cannot and
shall not be seen as a permanent solution to this problem. No matter the further

decisions to be made on land reclamation, it is strongly recommended to further

investigate the possibilities for reduction of the generation of large amounts of inert
waste from quarries and from excavation, construction and demolition activities.
Also the possibilities for reuse and recycling of these materials should be
investigated, as these methods follow the waste hierarchy strategy:
prevention
reduction
reuse
recycling
disposal.

The Maltese Islands are situated roughly in the centre of the Mediterranean sea, lying
some 96 km due south of Sicily and approximately 290 km due east of the North
African coast. They consist of three main islands and several uninhabited islands and
rocks and in total cover an area of some 320 km2
Malta is the largest of the Maltese Islands with a population of more than 340,000, the
next largest with more than 26,000 inhabitants is Gozo, whilst the smallest inhabited
island with less than 10 inhabitants is Comino. Access to the islands of Gozo and
Comino is predominately reliant on a ferry service from Malta, although a helicopter
service also existed between Malta and Gozo until September 2004.
The solid geology of the islands consists almost entirely of marine sedimentary rocks,
predominantly tertiary limestones with some clays and marls. There are also some
minor quaternary deposits of terrestrial origin mentioned in the Waste Management
Subject Plan/1/.
Groundwater is contained within the pores and fissures of tlle impervious rock strata,
forming aquifers which provide important resources of potable water supplies for
human consumption, industrial and agricultural uses as well as the maintenance of
natural watercourses and springs.
The minerals currently of most significance in the Maltese Islands are its limestone
reserves. These comprise softstone quarried mainly from the Lower Globigerina
formation, used as cut building blocks, and hardstone quarried from the Upper and
Lower Coralline formations used for 'marble', aggregates and concrete. The voids
created by mineral extraction operations can be used as sites for waste disposal. On
account of the need to protect groundwater resources, many of these sites may be
restricted to inert only wastes or require some landfill engineering works to be
undertaken prior to the disposal of any wastes.
The coastal zone is an important natural resource, fulfilling environmental, economic

and social roles in the development of the Maltese Islands. Ecologically the coast is
important since it supports a number of rare and diverse habitats. Such habitat types
are valuable both as examples of a particular habitat and because they support
specialised flora and fauna.
The Maltese Islands support a rich and diverse wildlife including rare and important
habitat types and areas of ecological and scientific importance. There are about 25
plants and 60 animals which are endemic to these islands.
The natural harbours which are situated around the islands, have been extensively
used for defence, commercial and tourism developments. Commercial and tourism
development of the coastal zone is particularly noticeable on the east and north
eastern coasts of Malta. As a side note, on the basis of the report commissioned by the
Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas (RAC/SPA, MAP), some of the
harbours host rare communities.

The valuable marine ecosystems of the Mediterranean need to be preserved (to be

maintained at a favourable conservation status) and are protected by international
obligations. At present a number of species are protected by national legislation. The
main contributor to impacts on marine life is liquid discharges to sea in particular
sewage. Significant improvements have been made to the sewage system in Malta
over recent years and further improvements are planned.
Waste disposal at sea is generally outlawed under international conventions. An
official dumpsite for the disposal of small quantities of inert construction related
wastes does exists off the east coast of Malta. This disposal site has existed since the
British occupation of Malta and is currently regulated by the Malta Environment and
Planning Authority through provisions of the Environment Protection Act. The
environmental and other implications of such disposal has not been properly
examined.
The use of inert waste materials for infill materials for land reclamation schemes and
coastal defence works may be appropriate under certain circumstances. Careful
controls over the import of such materials for these uses would be necessary to
prevent any contamination to coastal waters. MEPA has prepared a detailed position
paper on the issue of dumping at sea/2/.
Tourism is the key service industry in the Maltese Islands and has grown to become
one of the Islands' most important economic activities. In 1960 tourist arrivals totalled
nearly 20,000, by 1990 these numbers had exceeded 870,000 and in 1999 tourist
arrivals peaked at 1.2 million visitors. By 2002 the number has declined slightly to 1.1
million visitors. The majority of tourist developments are concentrated on the east and
north coasts of Malta, including Sliema, Paceville and Bugibba. In 1990 the bed
capacity available for tourists was estimated at over 41,000 with over 7,400 people
employed full time in hotels, complexes and catering establishments. By 1998 the bed
capacity available for tourists was some 46,500.
The majority of industrial development in the Maltese Islands is concentrated in the

Grand Harbour, Marsaxlokk Bay and Central Local Plan Areas. Industry in the
Maltese Islands includes manufacturing, shipbuilding and quarrying. Industry in the
manufacturing sector includes textile and clothing, metal products, machinery,
transport equipment and food and beverages. Malta's workforce at September 1998
stood at 144,660 and the vast majority of industrial activities are micro enterprises
employing less than five people.

The following section describes presently ongoing activities along the Maltese
coastline. The activities list is not necessarily exhaustive, but characterises the main
activities in terms of economic and environmental importance. Most of the
background information to this identification study, including different maps on various
coastal topics, has been supplied by MEPA. The maps in question are enclosed in
appendix B without further elaboration.
Bunkclllll!- "It~ 1-'"
P"l'lIlar Bathllll,! :\1'""
A.
\\ r,'ck
3
Dlw"lt..:
P lit ~laj,'r LUlHIrIl!,l P"lnl
-'quacllllllr,' ZOIl":
FI,h Farm
511mbalhyrn~lry
Sl'"d Groulld
The fishing industry in Malta is relatively small with more than 65 percent of landings
by weight taken up by large pelagic species. However, at local level, the social
importance of fisheries far outweighs their economic output. This is due to the small-

scale and traditional nature of local fisheries, and to their role in supplying valuable
food items.
Table 4-1
Commodity balance (2000):

Imports
Production
(f'reshIfnmM1)
Exports
Total
PM ctJpitB
supply
supply
2.14
5.47
'000 tonnes live weight

Fish for direct
human
2.7
1.36
1.92
consumption
Based on local population, excluding processed/preserved fish products (e.g. canned, smoked, fillets,
breaded, etc.)
2427
Primarysector:
525
Secondarysector:
Gross value of fisheriesoutput (2000):
iValueof imports(fresh & frozen):

iValueof exports:
Source: FAO country profile for Malta 2001
Marine fisheries
As on 18 September 2001, there were a total 1736 licensed fishing vessels (1411 in
Malta and 325 in Gozo). Of the 1736 vessels, only 45 were considered to be industrial
vessels (i.e. over 15 m in length). These industrial vessels were mainly trawlers, longliners (surface- and bottom long lines) and netters (including floating FAD's). The rest
could be considered as multi-purpose, since they undertook all types of fishing,
although on a smaller scale.
Due to their commercial value, the most targeted species were common dolphin fish
(Coryphaena hippurus), northern bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), swordfish (Xiphias
glad ius), stone bass or wreckfish (Polyprion americanus) and species in the Sparidae
and Scorpaenidae families, such as dentex (Dentex dentex), common sea bream or
red porgy (Pagrus pagrus) and black scorpion fish (Scorpaena porcus).
The fishing effort related to trawlers are all located outside the 3 nautical Mile
boundary of the Maltese coast, and primarily between or outside the 12 and 25
Nautical Mile limits, see Figure 4.2. Trawling zones within the 3-mile zone are
withheld.

,
flf
Fi'lhin~ rffM1:
:"oIm:11I~:,k' t l,hl.'f')
(Tr:.m.md
'Jc:h~.

Slla.i.1 Oimiblllioll
uftishing
trrurl:
l\1II:l1I'\4."all'Fidll'n
The offshore aquaculture industry has been developed within the constraints of a
National Aquaculture Plan and policy guidelines that ensure environmental protection
and sustainable development. Aquaculture is essentially based on large-scale
commercial offshore units employing modern technology. The cost of producing
farmed fish is still relatively high. The aquaculture production - which reached 1 746
tons in 2000 - is almost entirely exported (95 percent).
The annual aquaculture production increased dramatically during the 1990's from 60
tonnes in 1991 to a peak of 1800 tonnes in 1998 through the operation of 6
commercial farms. The highest production consisted of 1200 tonnes of sea bream
and 600 tonnes of sea bass. However, due to decreased prices for these two species
throughout the Mediterranean region, production dropped to 1300 tonnes in 2001.

At present there is an increase in the production of Bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus

through tuna penning. The farming of this species around the Maltese islands started
in the year 2000 with one farm producing 330 tonnes. During 2001 two farms
produced 1000 tonnes with an expected production of about 2000 tonnes in 2002.
Two of the fish farms that are currently in operation stock their fish in a total of twelve
50m diameter offshore cages that are anchored 1 km off the Maltese coastline at a
depth of at least 50m, /9/. According to PPCU, Michael Sant, the trend may however
now be mowing away from tuna to the culture of other species, for which reason the
need for cage areas is going to remain.
o
o
on the north-eastern coast of Malta

on the south-eastern side just outside and inside the Bay of Marsaxlokk
7 offshore areas are designated for bunkering. The 5 sites closest to the Maltese
coastline are depicted in Figure 4.1. The eastern most site (area 5) is scheduled to be
relocated.
The bunkering sites do not in themselves pose rigorous constraints on the use of the
coastal waters of Malta, since they can be moved by administrative decision.
Offshore Wind Farms
There are at present no offshore wind farms in Maltese waters. The consultants have
not during the present study been presented with information on possible offshore
wind farm activities, other than sketched ideas. Hence reference is made to section
7.2 for further discussion on the possibility of creating offshore wind farms.
Navigation Requirements
Navigation in Maltese coastal waters primarily takes place in connection with:
- Ferries connecting to Gozo island, including the Valletta-Gozo route
- Cruise liners, ships and traffic of other vessels from and to Grand Harbour
- Commercial large vessel traffic to and from Malta Freeport
Apart from obvious requirements for navigation in areas very close to the ports, the
navigation requirements do not immediately seem to pose a significant problem in
relation to the topic of the present study. This would of course depend on the location
and extent of any reclamation, for which reason the issue should be addressed with
MMA, when more details on the extent and location of a possible reclamation site is
known.
Marine Protected Areas
The entrance into the European Union requires the designation of protected habitat
areas and bird protective zones according to the EU-habitat directive and the EU-Bird
protection directive. Marine zones are in the process of being identified, but have not
yet been so. Inland coastal areas have been identified and published in September

2003 as Government
Notice 877 of 2003. Marine candidate areas have been
identified and proposed for habitat areas, as described in section 5.1 Hence protected
areas in the marine environment are not present in the context of EU legislation.
The area between Rdum Majjiesa and Ras ir-Raheb, see Figure 4.5, on the northwestern coast of Malta has been proposed as a candidate site for Marine protected
area.
Moreover, the marine environs of Filfla are essentially a no entry zone for all activities,
except for fishing from moving vessels, are prohibited since 1990.
The marine protected area along the north-western coast of Malta, as

shown on Malta Environment and Planning Authority website, /10/.
In the 1990 Structure Plan a series of candidate areas for Marine Protected Areas
were listed. The areas are shown in Figure 4.6 along with areas protected and
scheduled via the Environment Protection Act and the Development Planning Act
respectively within the land 'coastal' zone (as defined locally).
The Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas (RAC/SPA, MAP) later in
1994, in collaboration with the then Environment Protection Department,
commissioned Prof Patrick J Schembri, to identify a number of candidate marine
protected areas, see section 5.3.

'1l
r--
Predominantly urban coast
r---l
Predominantly rural coast
I~;;'~~"
Protected
areas (inc. Scheduled

Properly, Nature Reserves and
areas that merit protection
50 m bathymetric contour
Land extent of candidate Marine
Conservation Area
(Structure Plan 1990)
Candidate Marine Protected Areas according to 1990 Structure Plan,

information provided by MEPA, /7/
A number of coastal areas have however been identified under the Environment
Protection Act, as depicted in Figure 4.7. These areas do not cover the marine
environment, but as some areas are selected because of their scenic beauty and wild
life, marine development activities outside these zones should be carefully
considered.
:ana
:eCClamcmun 5'lti ~
~\'O.\\~\~\'e~\\~'e~\\~\~~~~
~'e~'\\.
Figure 4.7
Special areas of conservation along the Maltese coast, information

provided by MEPA, /7/.
In 1999 tourist arrivals to the Maltese Islands reached a record figure of 1,214,230,
and has since declined slightly to 1.133.814 in 2002. Foreign earnings from tourism
account for about 22.9% of total exports of goods and services in 1997 (Economic
Survey, January-September 1998). Gross earnings reached a figure of Lm 254.4
million in 1998. Direct employment in hotels and catering establishments is around
9500 employees but it is estimated that the full-time equivalent employment figure is
in the region of 41 ,451. In terms of tourist accommodation provision the current figure
is in the region of 46,884 beds.
Currently, the average annual occupancy, as indicated by the MTA, stands at 56
percent. An acceptable level of occupancy is generally around the 65 percent figure,
annually. At the same time, despite the current level of provision, it is acknowledged
that the demand for new beds is unlikely to decline because of lower occupancy
levels.
The future strategy as set out in the Strategic Plan 2000 - 2002 focuses on product
and market diversification, reducing the seasonality and upgrading of the Maltese
Islands' overall tourism product.

From the main issues addressed in the Topic Study the following key points have
been extracted, 111 I:
Evaluation of Current Structure Plan Policies
Current policies do not reflect the changes and demands of the sector. The emphasis
should be less on tourist accommodation development, although still a major issue,
and more on product development in these zones. Criteria need to be defined to
direct the designation of such zones.
Tourist Accommodation
The current situation indicates that specific categories of tourist accommodation
establishments are moving out of the sector into other businesses. Other
establishments are being redeveloped and extended. New forms of tourism
accommodation might be required (e.g. rural accommodation, accommodation in
historic towns). The MTA's policy in this regard is to decrease the emphasis on
accommodation and on the increase in bed stock but also encourage the
refurbishment of existing accommodation establishments. It is widely recognised that
some areas have reached saturation point in terms of tourist beds and improvements
to improve the cultural tourism offer. On the other hand discussions are underway
with regard to the development of specific projects like golf courses, yacht marinas, a
marine aquarium and other recreationaJ attractions. The further development of the
diving niche and the sinking of diving wrecks is another aspect that needs to be
addressed.
Future Strategy
According to the Tourism Topic Paper, the future strategy should consider a number
of options to meet the demands envisaged by the tourism sector.
Tourist Accommodation related strategies

concentration vs. spreading of development
recycling of properties
redevelopment of existing properties
extensions to existing establishments

Any proposed construction activity in Malta, including the marine waters of Malta, is
subjected to a list of constraints defined by the national legislation and policies as well
as international conventions and legislation, specifically EU legislation. The most
relevant national and international legislation and policies are described in the
following sections, as found in /12/.
The main legal instruments calling for the protection of marine habitats and
biodiversity within the Maltese Islands are the Environment Protection Act (2001)
and its subsidiary legislation, the Development Planning Act (1992) and the
Structure Plan and the Fisheries Conservation and Management Act (2001). Other
legal documents, such as the Malta Maritime Act (1992) make reference to
protection of the marine environment against pollution, /12/.
Environment Protection Act, 2001
According to Part V, Section 9 (2) (k) of the Environment Proteotion Act (2001),
the Minister responsible for the Environrrent may in relation to the protection of
biodiversity:
i. provide for the monitoring and management thereof, (
ii. declare any species to be a protected species and establish rules
for its protection;
iii. declare any species to be an invasive species and establish rules
for its control;
iv. regulate the use of and otherwise protect specimens of fauna or
flora; and in particular prohibit and, or, control possession,
exhibition, artificial propagation or captive breeding of such
specimens of flora and fauna as may be prescribed;
v. provide for the conservation, protection and management of
particular habitats or categories thereof in order to safeguard
biological diversity;
vi. declare any areas or sites on land or in the internal or territorial
waters, or beyond such waters where Malta may have jurisdiction
for the purpose of the protection and control of the environment,
to be protected areas and to provide for their protection and to
regulate their management;
vii. control and regulate any activity that may interfere with the
conservation status of biological diversity,
viii. regulate trade in and the transit, import or export of specimens
of flora and fauna as may be prescribed.
Flora, Fauna and Natural Habitats Protection Regulations, 2003 (LN 257 of
2003)
This legal notice is concerned with the establishment of a National Ecological
Network of special areas of conservation having National or International
Importance. The legal notice aims to transpose the obligations of the Habitats
Directive which call for the establishment of a European network of Special Areas
of Conservation (Natura 2000), composed of sites having the natural habitat types
and species listed in Annexes I and II to the Directive. Additionally, in accordance

with Article 3 of the Habitats Directive, the network is to include Special Protection
Areas classified under the Birds Directive.
Waste Management Regulations (permit and control), 2001 (LN 337 of 2001)
This regulation under the Environment Protection Act transposes the obligations of
the EU waste Framework Directive and the Hazardous Waste Directive into national
legislation.
This regulation controls all operations relating to the production and management of
waste and promote sound waste management practices so as to safeguard human
health and the environment.
Development Planning Act
Under the Development Planning Act (1992) Section 46,
"areas, buildings, structures and remains of geological, palaeontological,
cultural, archaeological,
architectural, historical, antiquarian, or artistic or
landscape importance, as well as areas of natural beauty, ecological or
scientific value (hereinafter referred to as "scheduled property" ) ... are to be
scheduled for conservation ... ".
The Amendments to the Development Planning Act (1997) extend the jurisdiction of
this Act to the marine environment.
The 1990 Structure Plan for the Maltese Islands acknowledges the urgent necessity
of protecting marine areas, due to 'the mounting development pressure all along
the coastal zone'. The Structure Plan observes that the United Nations Convention
on the Law of the Sea provides the legal basis for the management of marine
resources, with Article 192 (5) charging governments with the 'obligation to
protect and preserve the marine environment'.
The Structure Plan acknowledges that various activities require the utilisation of
coastal and marine resources. These needs are to be recognised in the formulation
of a national representative system of marine protected areas that will incorporate
different categories. Fourteen candidate sites are proposed as Marine Conservation
Areas; nevertheless, the need to include additional sites is also recognised.
There are thirteen policies included in the Structure Plan, dealing specifically with
MCAs. They provide general guidelines with respect to the process of development
of MCAs (refer to Appendix A). The Structure Plan marine conservation policies
(MCa 1 to 13) require that:
areas of ecological importance, areas of archaeological importance, and
areas of international importance are given the required protection;
the approach to the designation of protected areas is holistic, and that MCAs
are contiguous with protected land areas where possible;
appropriate data regarding site characteristics and issues linked to the site be
collected, and that such data be managed using Geographic Information
Systems (GIS);

the information gathered be used to direct site selection and definition of

boundaries, and ensure that (a) representative areas of all existing marine
and coastal ecosystems receive the required protection, and (b) areas of high
ecosystem diversity are given priority with respect to protection;
stakeholders and the public be consulted prior to the organisation of a series

of Marine Conservation Areas; and
a Management Authority for MCAs be established, to ensure the preparation
and implementation of detailed management plans, ensure that they are
designed and executed in a consistent manner.
Fisheries Conservation and Management Act
In accordance with Part III Section 4 (1) of the Fisheries Conservation and
Management Act (2001) the Director responsible for Fisheries shall be responsible
for a number of measures including:
Conservation of naturally occurring fish stocks
The protection of fish stocks from effects of pollution
The development and management of fisheries
The regulation of the conduct of fishing operations
The taking of appropriate measures to safeguard against extinction of
protected species.
Specifically, article 38 (2) provides for:
(b) the conservation, management and protection of fish resources
including the establishment of closed areas and closed seasons, the
prescription of the limits on the amounts, sizes and weights of fish
caught, retained or traded, the prescription of mesh sizes of nets, the
control and use of types of fishing gear, the control and prohibition of
methods of fishing and the protection of fish stocks and their habitats
from the actual or potential effects of pollution or from the actual or
potential effects of measures taken to eliminate or control
pollution; and
(c) the establishment and management of marine areas for the
preservation of fish stocks, including their means of sustenance.
Cultural Heritage Act, 2002 (Act No. VI of 2002)

This Act makes provision for the superintendence, conservation and management of
cultural heritage in Malta and for the matters ancillary thereto or connected therewith.

The protection of the marine environment is also required by other international

agreements to which Malta is a contracting party. The main international legal
instrument addressing coastal and marine resources is the Biodiversity Convention
(CBD) adopted at the UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio
1992. Aiming to adopt a broad approach to conservation, it requires Contracting
Parties to adopt national strategies, plans or programmes for the conservation and
sustainable use of biological diversity, and to integrate the conservation and
sustainable use of biodiversity into relevant sectoral or cross-sectoral plans,
programmes and policies (article 6). The establishment and maintenance of marine
protected areas for conservation and sustainable use is one of the main tools for
attaining the objectives of the CBD.
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982 (UNCLOS) gives a framework for
the determination of the rights and obligatiohs of States relating to oceans. Part XII
contains provisions with regard to protection and preservation of the marine
environment.
States are obliged to undertake measures in preventing and controlling pollution of
the marine environment. The Convention makes provisions for individual States by
invoking them to use the best practicable means at their disposal and in accordance
with their capabilities (Art 194). This is not a loophole through which States can carry
out activities that may cause pollution in the marine environment. The Convention still
calls for States to design measures that will minimise to the fullest possible extent the
release of toxic, harmful or noxious substances, especially those which are persistent,
from land-based sources, from or through the atmosphere or by dumping (Art 194).
Recognising that appropriate waste management strategies can provide measures
which reduce those sources of marine pollution, the Convention calls for Party States
to act so as not to transfer, directly or indirectly, damage or hazards from one area to
another or transform one type of pollution into another (Art 195). There is a clause
that caters for sovereign immunity, which exempts vessels and aircraft, owned or
operated by a State and used for the time being on government non-commercial
service, from the provisions of the Convention. However the Convention still binds
States to act in a manner that prevents and controls marine pollution stating that each
State shall ensure, by the adoption of appropriate measures not impairing operations
or operational capabilities of such vessels.
. owned or operated by it, that such
vessels.
. act in a manner consistent, so far as is reasonable and practicable with
this Convention (Art 236).
The failure to fulfil these international obligations makes States liable in accordance
with international laws (Art 135). However interpreted, the provisions of this
convention lend support to a comprehensive approach to waste reduction,
management and disposal, encompassing all potential sources of marine pollution
and careful consideration of disposal options.
As for international conventions and legislation, the recent entry into the European
Union requires Malta to abide to the existing EU aquis. The EU acquis is primarily

manifested in EU Directives, Decisions and Regulations of which the most important

concerned with environmental considerations in relation to physical planning activities
are described in this section.
EU-Habitat Directive (Directive 92/43/EEC):
In 1992 the European Union adopted a Council Directive on the conservation of
natural habitats and wild fauna and flora, commonly known as the 'Habitat Directive'.
As part of the process of joining the EU, Malta is currently updating its environmental
legislation to bring it in line with the EU legislation.
In this context, MEPA in 2002 commissioned independent consultants Joseph Borg
and Patrick Schembri, to review and assess existing data on marine habitats of the
Maltese Islands in order to align the data formats to meet the requirements of the EUDirective. The analysis further lead to initial suggestions of possible sites as Natura
2000 sites, which are 'Special Areas of Conservation', SAC's effectively designated
habitat areas not to be affected by anthropogenic activity. The data was assessed
against the requirements of Annex I and An'nex II of the EU-Directive and standard
data entry forms for marine species/habitats as defined by the Barcelona Convention.
The information on marine habitats and species described in the following sections
are based on the work prepared by Borg and Schembri/3/.
The Habitat Directive includes 6 annexes, in which species and criteria for selection
of 'Special Areas of Conservation', SAC's are listed.
Annex I:
Annex I lists natural habitats, whose conservation
Areas of Conservation, SAC's.
requires designation of Special
Posidonia beds
Coastal Lagoons
Annex II:
Annex II lists species of plants and animals, whose habitats must be protected for
their survival.
Mediterranean Monk Seal, Monachus monachus

Loggerhead Turtle, Caretta caretta
Annex IV:
The Habitats Directive obliges Member States to protect a number of coastal and
marine species found in the Maltese Islands and their territorial waters. Such
species are listed in Annex IV of the Directive.

Article 4.1 of the Habitats Directive requires member states to designate areas for the
protection of Annex I and Annex II types of habitats and species. It is however not
required, that all occurrences of the species are designated for protection /31. This is
especially relevant for the Posidonia Beds, which extends over a substantial part of
the sea bed along the Maltese coastline.
Since the areas are in the process of being designated, and are not presently so,
there is presently no formal or legal restrictions on constrained use of the areas for
other purposes. It may however prove prudent to restrict activities in the candidate
areas for designation, and any proposed activity should be considered with a view to
the ongoing process of designating protected areas.
Pending the designation of marine Special Areas of Conservation, the main
constraints are derived from Article 16 of the EU Habitats Directive, the coastal
Special Protection Areas designated in terms of the EU Wild Birds Directive, as well
as national law, with special reference to provisions of the Development Planning Act
and Environment Protection Act (including their subsidiary regulations). The latter
includes the candidate coastal Special Areas of Conservation listed in Government
Notice 877 of 2003.
Borg & Schembri has in their work been commissioned to propbse Natura 2000 sites
for the Maltese Islands. They have indicated 9 sites along the entire coastline, based
on the findings of their study. The 9 sites are shown in Figure 5.1

9 proposed Natura 2000 sites on Malta following recommendations

from Borg & Schembri /3/
It is however important to note, that the 9 sites have been limited to those areas
where sufficient and reliable environmental data have been available. Borg &
Schembri have refrained from proposing areas, where data were considered
insufficient, for which reason they stress, that many more sites are suitable for Natura
2000 designation.
It is therefore considered certain, that as better information on habitats in areas
outside of the sites depicted in Figure 5.1 is obtained, new sites may be added as
candidates for Natura 2000 sites. The proposed sites indicated do therefore not
constitute a final delimitation of areas in which human activities with impacts on the
environment are prohibited
Bern Convention
The Convention on the Conservation of the European Wildlife and Natural Habitats,
generally referred to as the Bern Convention, is designated to protect threatened
species of flora and fauna, the habitats of these species, the habitats of migratory
species, endangered natural habitats and to safeguard migratory species. It entered
into force on the 1.st of June 1982 and is sponsored by the Council of Europe.

The Bern Convention (1979) and the Habitats Directive (1992) have a complete
coincidence of objectives, their main differences relating to the territory they apply to
and the fact that the Habitats Directive is more explicit on the obligations concerning
conservation of natural habitats.
The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (also

known as CMS or Bonn Convention) aims to conserve terrestrial, marine and avian
migratory species throughout their range. It is an intergovernmental treaty, concluded
under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme, concerned with the
conservation of wildlife and habitats on a global scale.
Migratory species threatened with extinction are listed on Appendix I of the
Convention. CMS Parties strive towards strictly protecting these animals, conserving
or restoring the places where they live, mitigating obstacles to migration and
controlling other factors that might endanger them. Besides establishing obligations
for each State joining the Convention, CMS promotes concerted action among the
Range States of many of these species.
Migratory species that need or would significantly benefit from international cooperation are listed in Appendix II of the Convention. For this reason, the Convention
encourages the Range States to conclude global or regional Agreements, 112/.
EU Water Framework
On 23 October 2000, the "Directive 2000/60/EC
of the European Parliament and of
the Council establishing a framework for the Community action in the field of water
policy" or in short, the EU Water Framework Directive (the WFD) was adopted
The directive requires a classification of all water bodies after the ecological potential
in a given area. Through monitoring, planning and regulation all waster bodies should
achieve a 'good' water quality status.
expanding the scope of water protection to all waters, surface waters and
groundwater
achieving "good status" for all waters by a set deadline
water management based on river basins
"combined approach" of emission limit values and quality standards
getting the prices right
getting the citizen involved more closely
streamlining legislation
There are a number of objectives in respect of which the quality of water is
protected. The key ones at European level are general protection of the aquatic
ecology, specific protection of unique and valuable habitats, protection of drinking
water resources, and protection of bathing water. However, the overall objective is to
prevent deterioration of the ecological status of surface waters, and to achieve "good
water quality status" for all waters by 2015.

For coastal waters, the ecological status and chemical status have to be monitored
to allow for the classification of each of the water bodies according to the quality of
the biological quality elements. For protected areas the objectives of the WFD are
supplemented by those requirements arising out of any other Community Legislation
under which the individual protected areas have been designated. For example
Natura 2000 sites that are designated for the protection of species and habitats, may
have more stringent monitoring requirements under the aforecited EU Habitats
Directive.
To achieve the environmental objectives, each Member State must establish a
monitoring programme for the biological and physico-chemical characteristics, and a
programme of measures for each river basin district (in the local context referred to as
the 'water catchment district').
For priority hazardous substances listed, cessation or phasing-out of discharges,
emissions and losses are required. The list contain 33 substances or group of
substances including selected existing chemicals, plant protection products, biocides,
metals and other groups like Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH).
EU Bird Directive
As with the EU-Habitat Directive, the EU-Bird Protection Directive requires the
designation of specific zones for the protection of birds of national or international
importance. These zones are designated by the national governmental authorities,
based on existing information on the occurrences of bird species, their nesting and
feeding areas, resting areas for migrating birds as well as the threats posed to their
presence on a national and international level.
As with the implementation of the EU- Habitat Directive, these areas are still in the
process of being designated for Malta, for which reason there is presently no formal
EU legislative restrictions on coastal activities with respect to the bird life.
Under the Coastal Zone Management initiative, Joe Sultana and John J. Borg have
prepared a subject plan on ornithology highlighting areas of importance along the
Maltese islands. The area found to be of high ornithological importance is shown in
Appendix B, Figure 2, and includes the main part of the western coast of Malta as
well as parts of the Island of Gozo.
Additional data is informed to be available through a report on Bird Areas important in
terms of the EU Acquis, published by BirdLife Malta in June 2004.
London Dumping Convention
The London Dumping convention, to which Malta has acceded, regulates the disposal
of material at sea. While dumping of a number of specific hazardous substances,
listed in Annex 1 (The black list), is prohibited, dumping of substances which do not in
themselves constitute an environmental hazard (Annex 2, the grey list), are not
considered prohibited by the convention, subject to certain restrictions. The dumping
of such materials is regulated by the national legislation. According to the convention,
the dumping activity is required to be preceded by an assessment of the
environmental consequences, assuring that no significant environmental impact can
be expected from the dumping of the material.

The London Dumping convention is relevant for the present project, if dumping of
inert waste at larger depth is considered as alternative to land reclamation or inland
use of the inert material. Inert material is regarded as Annex 2 substance, being on
the grey list.
In conclusion, the disposal of inert materials at sea can be regarded as a viable
option, from a legal viewpoint, if the impact on the environment is considered
insignificant. Based on the information on marine environmental conditions at larger
depths obtained during the present identification project, it must be considered a
viable option.
Convention for the Protection

(Barcelona convention)
of the Mediterranean
Sea against
Pollution
A number of protocols were adopted under this convention, amongst which is the
Protocol concerning Mediterranean Specially Protected Areas. This protocol later
changed to Protocol for specially Protected Areas and Biodiversity in the
Mediterranean (SPABIM).
Parties to this are obliged to establish specially protected areas and shall endeavour
to undertake the action necessary in order to protect these areas and, as appropriate,
to restore them as rapidly as possible, /3/. Both Malta and EU are parties to the
protocol, which also forms part of the EU Acquis (Decision 99/800/EC).

The Integrated Solid Waste Management Strategy from 2001/41 sets out targets to be
achieved over following years. This also includes policies and targets due the
management of inert waste. Some of the key aspects in this relation are described
below.
Quarry activities:
Quarry activities, in particular soft stone quarrying, result in considerable material
wastage and in the generation of limestone residues in the form of waste gravel and
crushed rocks and dusty and powdery wastes. Most of this material is deposited in or
around the quarry from which it is generated.
Construction & Demolition Wastes:
This waste stream, much of which comprises soft stone and is essentially inert, arises
from excavation works and demolition and construction activities. Although some
materials are reused or recycled as part of reclamation or landscaping schemes, the
bulk of these wastes is currently deposited in disused quarries or illegally dumped /
fly-tipped.
Recycled Building Materials Working Party:

A "Recycled Building Materials Working Party" will be created to act as a forum for
regular communication, decision-making and agreement among the main interest
groups within the quarrying and construction industry. The Working Party, which will
be formed under the auspices of the Building Industry Consultative Council (BICe),
besides representatives of the BICC itself, will also include representatives from
relevant Government bodies, incl. MEPA. The Working Party will undertake a number
of principal tasks, primarily aimed at recovering and recycling materials from
excavation, demolition and construction wastes/4/.
The Government also intends to utilise its collective power as a developer and as a
client for construction works to promote changes in existing practices wjth the overall
aim of reducing the volume of this waste stream requiring disposal, and expanding
the use of recycled materials/4/.
SWM-strategyaim:
The construction industry with over one million tonnes of waste generated annually, is
the largest source of waste production. The aim is to reduce, by 2005, C&D waste
generation by 20% of current total arisings, to achieve, by 2005, recovery of 60% of
the current rock 1 stone total arisings and to achieve, by 2005, recovery of 50% of the
current mixed inert waste being generated. It is proposed to set up, together with the
Building Industry Consultative Council (BICC), a Recycled Building Materials Working
party in order to tackle this part of the Strategy. It is also the intention to establish
facilities for the interim storage, processing and recovery of excavation and other
recyclable excavation, construction and demolition wastes.

Waste Hierarchy:
The SWM-strategy has adopted the waste hierarchy as a concept, providing a
preferred order of priorities for selecting and deciding upon waste management
practices. These are:
1.Waste prevention / reduction
2. Reuse
3. Recycling
4. Recovery
5. Disposal
This principle is to be considered in conjunction with other principles, in particular the
"Best Practicable Environmental Option (BPEO)".
Best Practicable Environmental Option (SPED):
The Best Practicable Environmental Option (BPEO) is the outcome
and consultative decision-making process that emphasises the
conservation of the environment across land, air and water. The
establishes for a given set of objectives and circumstances the option
of options) that provides the greatest benefits or least damage to the
a whole, at an acceptable cost, in the long term as well as i the short
of a systematic
protection and
BPEO process
(or combination
environment as
term.
As mentioned in the Waste Management Subject Plan/1/, the information on waste

arisings and quantities of waste requiring disposal is scarce. This especially applies to
excavation, construction and demolition wastes, which form the bulk of arisings.
Inert Wastes
Data on inert waste arisings is traditionally very difficult to obtain, since the origins of
these wastes are often numerous, short-lived and project related. The total for Malta
of some 750,000 tonnes of construction and demolition wastes requiring disposal was
obtained from the weighbridge records at the former public landfill facility (Maghtab).
It is known that some of these wastes are used for restoration and landscaping
purposes and additional quantities are illegally fly-tipped. The total quantity of
construction and demolition wastes arising on Malta therefore exceeds the level of
waste that has been deposited in the public landfill. However, in the absence of
further data the weighbridge data represents the best estimate of inert wastes
requiring disposal.
There are no official estimates of the construction and demolition waste arisings on
Gozo, although it has been estimated by MEPA that some 250,000 tonnes of inert
waste are generated each year. There are currently no significant movements of
demolition, construction or excavation wastes into or out of the islands, and therefore
all inert wastes requiring disposal can be assumed to be disposed of at landfill sites
within the Maltese Islands.

Projection of Inert Waste Arisings

The projections made on inert waste arisings for the period to 2010 are based on the
assumption that there is a correlation between the levels of these wastes generated
with projected trends in economic activity. The baseline annual arisings for inert
wastes have been set at 1 million tones in 1997. These arisings have been
extrapolated over the period to 2009 based on a growth in economic activity of
between 3% and 4.25% per annum. The projections are provided in Table 6-1.
Year
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Total Inert Waste Generation

(tonnes per year)
1,060,900
1,095,379
1,132,074
1,171,131
1,212,706
1,256,970
1,304,106
1,354,314
1,407,810
1,464,826
1,525,616
Notes:
1: Assumes waste arisings increase of 3.0% up to 2000, 3.25% at 2000,
3.75% at 2005 and 4.25% at 2010.
2: Growth rates for the Maltese Economy based on constant price rates
established in IMF Reports.
On the Islands, almost all of these wastes have been disposed of to landfill until year
2004. From the beginning of 2004, most of this waste stream has been directed for
disposal at disused stone quarries.
A conversion rate for inert wastes that is widely accepted within the EU assumes that
1.5 tonnes of inert waste equates to 1 cubic metre of landfill capacity. On this basis,
there is a requirement for between 710,000 m3 and just over one million m3 of inert
disposal capacity to be made available each year.
It is the policy of MEPA to seek greater reuse and recycling of inert wastes and
guidance contained in the Public Consultation Draft of the Minerals Subject Plan
deals with standard conditions for recycling of inert materials in quarries and the
disposal of inert wastes in quarries.
MEPA has identified a number of disused quarries to be used as controlled inert
waste disposal sites. This way, disused quarries can be restored and used for
agricultural and recreational purposes. However, at present it is estimated that the
disposal capacity in the disused quarries will expire within the next 5 years.

Inert Waste Sources

According to information from WasteServ/5/, the following inert waste amounts were
registered at Maghtab in year 2003:
Construction and Demolition Waste:
Materials from excavations (mainly soft rock):
Waste from road construction:
Total inert waste amount registered at Maghtab:
154,000
383,000
14,000
551,000
tonnes
tonnes
tonnes
tonnes
In addition to this amount, it was estimated that another 700,000 tonnes were
deposited at various quarries.
Waste from quarrying of stone is not included in these figures. Such material does not
enter the waste stream as it is deposited at the quarries or in the nearby vicinity.
If assumed that the composition of the total inert waste amount is similar to that
deposited at Maghtab, then materials from excavations at developments etc.
constitute approximately 70% of the total inert waste amount.

Disposal of wastes at sea can give rise to significant environmental impacts and as
such are controlled by international conventions and protocols. Under certain special
circumstances sea based disposal of inert waste may be considered where it can be
demonstrated that it will not give rise to adverse impacts on the marine environment.
Such proposals would be subject to environmental impact assessment requirements.
MEPA's position on this issue is presented in its Position Paper on Disposal of Waste
at Sea, /21.
Tied with the issue of inert waste management is that of land reclamation. Land
reclamation projects have to be justified as they result in a substantial impact on the
natural processes within coastal areas. The engineering works and financial
resources required to fulfil such projects are high. Structural stability is essential as
the reclaimed areas are continuously exposed to wave action and therefore require
appropriate construction materials and operations to ensure the long-term existence
of the reclaimed areas. The majority of reclamation projects require relative shallow
waters to facilitate construction works, ie within the 50m bathymetric contour of the
coastal waters, which are also considered to be ecologically important. As these
areas are also under intense use from the tourism and recreation sector as well as
maritime activities, the impacts of such projects would therefore be substantial on
both social and economic grounds.
The purpose of any land reclamation is to create high value land, the value of which is
above the construction cost. The value of the land is hence tied to the subsequent
activities to be placed on the land.
The Maltese government has decided not to provide financial support to any land
reclamation projects, but rather promote private developers to initiate any such
reclamation activities, based on economically self-sustainable projects. The activities
foreseen on the reclaimed land are hence required to create revenues that enable
both land reclamation and the cost of establishing the activities on the reclaimed land.
Hence, to justify the economic
conditions need to be fulfilled:
investment
in reclaiming
of land, the following
The economic investment in reclaiming land should enable activities, which

generates revenue that surpasses combined construction costs of land and the
planned activities on the reclaimed land.
- The same activities placed on the existing coastal perimeter should not be able
to create similar high revenues.
The difference in revenue, when comparing with similar activities on land,
should be large enough to cover the 'risk-price', which a developer would
encompass when venturing in this type of project.
- The possibility of creating similar activities on land should be prohibited by
regulation, public perception or other restrictions.

The types of activities that has so far been generating revenue in Maltese coastal
area based on the location in the coastal zone are:
Tourism:
Hotel industry
Boating/Yachting industry
Marinas
Leisure activities such as
Casinos,
Nightlife
Bathing
Entertainment in general such as cinemas etc.
Shopping centres
Domestic activities:
- Housing/residential areas
During the project identification mission, a number of proposals have been brought
forward on new types of activities, which may be economically sustainable on a
private sector basis on reclaimed land:
- Incineration of hazardous waste
- Cement kilns for production of cement
- Offshore windmill farms
Comparing land reclamation alternatives, shoreline extension would usually entail the
smallest possible construction activity, since the reclaimed land would benefit from
the existing coastal perimeter on the one side, and at the same time be at shallower
depth the than if creating an artificial Island further offshore.
At the same time, however, the impact both to the marine and terrestrial areas may
be significantly higher since:
- The area designated for reclamation is closer to existing uses, and hence could
spur conflicts from the existing users.
- The area would be located in a zone that commonly tends to have a higher
environmental importance in terms of biodiversity, biomass or biological
importance in general.
On the other hand, the economical implications of reclaiming land by shoreline
extension is generally much less than compared to the creation of offshore islands.
The technical issues related to shoreline extension do not differ from that of creating
offshore islands, for which reason this subject is described in more detail under
section 7.3.

To minimize the environmental impact during the construction

island would be constructed using a two-phased approach.
phase, an artificial
During the first phase an outer bound would be created around the circumference of
the island
By establishing an outer closed perimeter, the spill of fines during infilling of material
will be confined to the water within the circumference of the island. Hence the release
of fines in the marine environment can be significantly reduced during the subsequent
infilling.
Considering areas within the 30 m depth contour, it is assumed that the underlying
seabed consists of weathered hard limestone allowing only limited penetration of
sheet piles. It would instead allow placement of either a
cofferdam structure
concrete caissons
sheet pilling using double walls

Steel cofferdam
The main perimeter could be made as a cofferdam consisting of a steel structure as

sketched in Figure 7.1.
Sketch of cofferdam construction in plane. This type of structure has

been used at Malta Freeport
This type of cofferdam structure has previously been used both for the protective
breakwater and the main container quay structure at Malta Freeport on conditions
assumed similar to the planned reclamation.

The cofferdam is constructed one cell by one and concurrently filled so only the outer
cell is temporarily not stabilised by fill. In connection with construction of the
cofferdams it is planned to establish a guidance system, which is to be used as
interim support when erecting a new cofferdam.
At some locations it will be necessary to make a protection of the cofferdam top to
avoid erosion from overtopping water. The cofferdam may require a limited scour
protection. The cofferdam structure is constructed and closed before further fitl work
takes place.
After construction of the outer cofferdam structure the filling takes place partly by
back tipping from trucks or through a conveyor belt system. If the island is close to
land, a conveyer belt system from storage and crushing site could transport the infill
to the island. The conveyer belt system should be closed to avoid problems with dust.
Basically the inner area is filled up completely or partly independent of the future use.
Concrete Caissons
As an alternative construction method, concrete caissons can be used to delimit the
outer perimeter of an island.
The use of concrete caissons does however pose requirements to both supplies of
concrete as well as location for construction of the caissons.
Furthermore the use of concrete caissons is more difficult in waters with heavily
sloping sea bottom, which to some extent may be the case outside on some of the
locations, e.g. as indicated outside St. Julians Bay.
Sheet Pilling
Sheet pilling using steel represents an alternative to the caisson or cofferdam. The
sheet pilling will however necessitate the use of a double wall, because of the hard
bottom, for which reason the difference to the cofferdam solution represented
previously is rather small, both in terms of performance and cost.
It is hence considered that under the given Maltese conditions, using steel plated
cofferdam structures is a viable and sensible construction method, and it will
consequently form the basis of the following assessment of construction implications.
Assuming that the indicated interval of material would delimit the construction of an
artificial island, it is seen from Figure 7.6 that an island at more than 100-meter depth
would provide a maximum of 7 Ha land. An island at 30-meter depth on the other
hand would in comparison provide the equivalent of 25 Ha land.

Sketch of example cross section of island with perimeter of circular

cofferdam and inner canal with reduced depth.
Plane view of circular island with example of one inner canal at reduced
depth. Outer perimeter made of cofferdam, while inner canal can be
made in various less expensive ways.
To relate the construction of an artificial island with a high demand on inert material
for infill to the amount of surplus material presently generated in Malta, Figure 7.6
depicts the quantity of material need for an artificial island at different depths.
The green band in the figure delimits an interval between 5 and 8 million m3 material,
which is the equivalent amount of inert material to be generated within a period of
approximately 5 to 8 years at present rates.
This should be seen with a view to the financial investment involved, requiring the
construction period to remain limited, in order to provide a revenue of the investment
within an acceptable time period.

Figure 7.6
Amount of material used for the creation of an artificial island at

different depths
35
Depth
30
ns
.~
Q)
25
-10
meter
-20
meter
...0E
20
-30
meter
15
-50
meter
ns
E
0 10
E
-100
meter
-150
meter
5
0
1
10
15
Ha of land
Note: The green area indicates amounts between 5 and 8 million m3, which is approximately
the equivalent of 5 to 8 years use of annually generated inert material at present day rates.
The marine environment refers to both seabed (benthic) and the water column
(pelagic). Pollutants have no boundaries in the aquatic medium and are transported
by diffusion, by currents and wave motion.
Placing of large quantities of material on the seabed can result in marine pollution
related to spreading of fines, depending on the technique used and caution exerted. If
no precautions are taken, particulate material will result in marine pollution, the
magnitude of which is related to the quantity of the material, particle size,
composition, etc. The condition of the marine environment in the area of deposition,
such as benthic environment, chemical and biological oxygen demand levels (COD,
BOD), bathymetry and currents are also important variables.
The location of the deposited material close to the shore is likely to cause more
damage than further off the coast, since coastal areas sustain ecologically sensitive
benthic habitats some of which are of economic significance (e.g. nursery/fishing
grounds). The importance of the coastal fringe is due to the fact that up to depths of
around 50m, it supports unique habitats that are important in terms of biological
diversity. The damage to such habitats could be irreversible. Coastal areas are also
important for their amenity value and any deposition at sea occurring in these areas
may affect a variety of uses ranging from bathing, water quality for desalination,
aquaculture, etc.

Irrespective of whether the waste is hazardous or not, three likely impacts are
envisaged to arise from dumping-at-sea, namely
- increased turbidity of the water column,
- obliteration of the benthic environment2 immediately beneath the marine
dumpsite and
- smothering of benthic habitats from the settlement of suspended particles.
Turbidity of the water column is caused by the particles in suspension; the smaller the
particles the longer the suspension period. Increased turbidity reduces light
penetration affecting both benthic habitats as well as plankton. There have been
instances where the health of pelagic species has also been affected especially
through the clogging of fish gills leading to increased infertility. The severity of the
impact depends on the release of fines during deposition. The water circulation
pattern of the area will affect the rate of dispersal of suspended material.
Released material will eventually settle on the seabed. As a result of this, the area
immediately below the location of deposition is severely impacted and the local
benthic environment smothered. The longer the process, the wider the affected area.
The severity of impact on the marine environment is particularly dependent on the
bio-chemical nature of the material that is dumped. The impacts associated with
depositing inert waste are limited to those described above, namely smothering of
seabed and increased turbidity. In the case of deposition (or reclamation) in shallow
areas close to the shore, the impacts will also be extended to changes in currents and
the hydrodynamic regime of the area and the promotion of associated impacts related
to sediment transport phenomena such as coastal erosion and sediment
accumulation. Another potential problem that could be associated with 'inert' waste is
that the waste may be contaminated with non-inert substances, potentially of a
polluting or even possibly hazardous nature.
To minimize these environmental impacts, it is proposed, that the perimiter structure
of the reclaimed land is built first, after which, release of fines to the environment can
be almost entirely prevented, dependant on the infill technique used.
The island is assumed to be constructed using steel plated cofferdams in circular

shape, as depicted in Figure 7.1 and described in section 7.3.1. This represents a
known and previously applied construction technique under similar conditions in Malta
and hence well suited for cost assessment of creating artificial islands.
The cost assessment is based on a previous pre-feasibility study for an artificial island
in the front of the Maghtab landfill, carried out by Carl Bro, /51. During this study, cost
estimates for creating an offshore island at 30 m depth was made.
Land Reclamation
Study, Malta
Draft Project Identification
Report
The main cost related to the creation of an island, is related to the construction
of the
perimeter. This part approximately
accounts for 50% of the total construction
cost.
This is due to the price of steel, construction
price of the cofferdams
and works
related to construction of the perimeter.
The second most significant contribution to the cost is the handling of the fill material
to the construction.
This accounts for approximately
20% of the total cost.
- Depth at the given site

- Circumference
of the island
Apart from these parameters,
a series of other factors, such as labour cost, cost of
mitigation measures,
construction
techniques
applied etc., etc. will have secondary
influence on the total construction cost.
Based on the two primary cost parameters,
a price comparison
artificial island at different depths has been attempted, as depicted
of constructing
in Figure 7.7.
an
The price calculations

are based on the assumption,
th t the same construction
technique can be applied at all depths. This assumption wil not hold at depths larger
than approximately
50 m. At larger depth, the price increase will escalate at an
increased rate, and a linear price extrapolation
would underestimate
the actual costs.
Perimeter structure
Transport, handling etc. of infill
Other structures, scour protection etc.
Contingencies,
administration,
etc
50
20
15
15
Unit prices for processed steel

Unit price for infill material
0.6 MTL/kg
0.5 MTL/m3
The price
construction
%
%
%
has been calculated

based on a previous
pre-feasibility
of an artificial Island of Magthab, made by Carl Bro in 2001/6/.
study
on

80
70
...J
....
60
50
ci 40
30
."..
.. .
Circumference/area
of island
.".. "
--1
-
km/8 ha
-
2 km/ 30 ha
- - - 3 km/ 72 ha
20
10
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Depth
The prices indicated in Figure 7.7 apply to circular shaped island, which have the
smallest possible circumference relative to the generated land. If other types of
islands, with more artistic variations of the outer perimeter should be considered, the
price would increase considerably. This is due to the fact that the construction of the
outer perimeter accounts for the bulk of the total cost.
The figure shows, that 30 Ha of land at 30-meter depth results in an approximate cost
of 40 million MTL. This price is construction price of island only, and the subsequent
land development and building construction on the island is additional to this amount.
To enable comparison with the price of land on the existing island of Malta, the price
of reclaimed land indicated in Figure 7.7 is indicated pr m2 in Figure 7.8
Equivalent prices of land in Malta vary highly, for which reason two extreme points of
land value has been sought in Malta. These two points are represented by the low
cost of industrial land in Malta and the high cost of residential areas near the
waterfront around SliemaNaletta. The prices of land in 2004 at these two extremes
are, as provided by MEPA, approximately:
For residential areas, the price is indicative of the price of an apartment, in a multistorey building. Hence the price of the building plot would be lower.

On the other hand, the prices indicated in Figure 7.8 represent the cost of every
square meter of the island, including roads, pedestrian walks, parks etc. Hence the
cost pr. m2 of an apartment on an artificial island would increase relative to the area
used for purposes other than apartment buildings.
It is not envisaged that other major costs would occur as a result of mitigation
measures, egofor wave action etc.
Price of land in MTLlm2

350
300
250
N
:::J
....
~
....
200
150
...
100
50
0
5
Circumference/area
of island
..
- - - 1 km/ 8 ha
..
--3
2 km/ 30 ha
km/ 72 ha
10
15
20
25
30
35
Depth
Based on the figures obtained, the use of an artificial island for industrial purposes
should be driven by other incentives than economic for it to be realistic. I.e. the
present low value of industrial land compared to that of an artificial island does not
provide adequate incentive for the creation of new land for industrial purposes.
With respect to land value of residential areas, a price interval between 100 and 300
MTL for undeveloped land may not deter an investor. The total price of 20- 60 million
MTL for constructing at 30 m water depth may however prove to pose significant
requirements to the solidity of the developer as well as confidence in the price market
for residential areas. At lower depths, these figures seem more favourable towards
the development of an island.
The creation of Islands for residential or tourism purposes will most likely generate an
increased turnover in the industry in question. It should however be investigated to
which extent the present sector may have a surplus capacity or whether it is in need
of more capacity.

Should surplus capacity exist in the sector, the additional capacity provided by this
type of project may initiate or enhance depreciation in the market value of the existing
commodities in question. Hereby forming a depression in the market.
These aspects are especially relevant if taxation on vacant property is considered, or
the price structure in the market is subject to change by other factors.
Artificial reefs are generally recognised to be effective devices for attracting and
supporting large populations of fish, conditional to the specific environment and type
of reef employed. They can provide complex, hard surface habitat in areas where
only soft bottoms occur. Large artificial reef structures also provide improved feeding
opportunities for many fish by changing water flow patterns. Localised areas of high
flow are created as moving water passes over and around large artificial reef
structures and low flows are established in sheltered areas inside the structure and at
the downstream side. Although it is widely established that high current flows attract
plankton-feeding fish and their predators, the impact Qf such currents in the
oligotrophic Maltese waters are not yet scientifically ascertaihed.
Artificial reefs may provide good opportunities for planktonic fouling organisms to
settle and develop. These fouling organisms, which include polychaetes, barnacles
and mussels, flourish on artificial reefs and attract many predators, such as crabs,
shrimps and fish, to feed and be fed. Artificial reefs are generally recognised to create
new and complex food webs in areas that are habitat limiting.
There are expressed opinions to the opposite view, and preliminary scientific studies
by the research team led by Professor Patrick J Schembri of University of Malta has not
indicated such a big distinction in marine stock and biodiversity, and results are yet
scientifically inconclusive. Potential conflicts with fishing efforts should also be
considered in the context of deploying artificial sub sea structures.
Artificial reefs could be constructed using concrete dolos, tripods or similar structures,
made in part using inert waste material. The concrete structures would be placed on
top of each other on the sea bottom, forming an underwater 'mountain-like' structure.
The height of the structure would depend on the depth at the location, but keeping the
structure below 18-20 m depth would prevent hazard to the ships traffic in the given
area.
The price for the dolos/tripods is based on a low estimate on the price for
prefabricated re-enforced concrete structures at a unit price of 100 MTLlm3
Land Reclamation
Study, Malta
Draft Project Identification
Report
The benefits arising from the creation of artificial reefs would be an increased
fish stock, which in the longer term would benefit the fishing industry in Malta.
Based on the above arguments
with an estimated
turnover
between
MTLlyear,
the fishing industry would not itself be able to sustain the
required to generate artificial reefs at large depths.
marine
1-5 million
investment
It is common practice to use obsolete ships, which are positioned at the seabed. The
shipwrecks
constitute very fine artificial reefs because of the variety of hiding and
refuge places, while at the same time providing a large surface for benthic growth.
The efficiency of windmills is directly related to the wind energy at the location of the
windmill.
Hence the positioning
of windmills at offshore locations usually provides
better conditions
for the windmill, while at the same time removing
any negative
effects, such as noise or aesthetics, in inhabited areas.
To the extent that the locations of offshore windmills are used by sea-birds,
it is
important
to note that these sea-birds
could be negatively
affected
by offshore
windmills.
This is particularly
the case for Wild Birds Directive Annex I species as
Calonectris diomedea, Hydrobates pelagicus and Puffin us yelkouan, which breed in
large numbers in the Maltese Islands.
Windmill efficiency in general is however at present only closing-in on cost-effective
energy production.
When compared to other production forms, such as coal, oil etc.
the production of wind energy is not in itself economically
self-sustainable.
Only state
or governmental
support has until now helped finance the windmill industry.
- gravitational
platforms such as caissons
- mono-pile, tripod structures
- floating substructures
etc
While gravitational
platforms are used at shallow depth until approximately
meter depth, mono-pile and tripod foundations can be used until approximately
At larger depth, these platforms are presently substituted by floating platforms.
10-15
25 m.
Based on Carl Bro's experience

from design and construction
of offshore windmill
farms in Denmark,
Germany
and England, the price of the substructure
cannot
exceed 25-30 % of the total cost for the windmills, and usually lies around 15 %.
Comparing this figure to
30 Ha island would cost
space for approximately
approximately
50 million
constitute in the order of
the cost of creating an artificial island, even at 30 m depth, a

approximately
40 million MTL, see Figure 7.7, and provide
30 mills. The price of the 30 windmills would amount to
MTL, and the substructure
in form of an island would thus
45% of the total cost.

At larger depth, the cost of the substructure would quickly become comparable to the
cost of the windmills themselves. So while the construction of offshore islands for
windmills may solve the problem of inert surplus material, the construction of an
artificial island for this purpose is prohibitively expensive
The prices used are based on present day windmill technology and price structure.
The technological development of windmills is however rapid, and the above listed
argument concerning prices may need revision within a 1a-year time period.
Dumping of inert material at sea is a last resort for disposal of inert material.
If no alternative to dumping is available, dumping is a relatively cost effective method
of disposal.
The implications on the marine environment needs to be assessed prior to such
action, and would depend heavily on the presence of fine material in the waste. While
coarser particles would settle to the seabed within a short range of the dumping
location, the fine material would disperse to a large area.
- Hydrodynamic conditions at disposal (pattern of material dispersion)

- Benthic fauna and flora at disposal site (type, prevalence, recovery time, etc)
- Type of disposal material (possible chemical content, amount of fines)
Depending on the seabed fauna and flora this mayor
may not constitute an
environmental threat, but the decision should rest upon an assessment of the
consequences to the marine environment at the given disposal site.
Apart from the EIA Directive, Article 6 (in case of Natura 2000 sites) and Article 16 (in
case of strictly protected species) of the EU Habitats Directive, also apply in such
cases.

IDENTIFICATION AND INITIAL EVALUATION

FOR LAND RECLAMATION
OF POTENTIAL MARINE AREAS
As it appears from the previous chapters, the choice of potential sites for land
reclamation is a task involving many interests. The strategy on how to chose a site
should thus be based on the recognition of these interests followed by a step-wise
approach in which at first unsatisfactory areas are excluded and subsequently more
promising areas are identified. In this way, the search area can be narrowed down
and successively the detail level on subjects to be considered will be increased. The
process can be divided into three major steps:
Only the first step is included in the current identification report. The three steps are
further described in the following.
A map screening has been carried out in order to eliminate unsatisfactory areas. The
entire coastal area surrounding the Maltese Islands has been considered at this
screening exercise (see also Chapter 4).
Areas with deep water close to the coastline

Areas with unique scenic value
Areas of unique archaeological or historical interest
Protected nature territories
Areas in front of harbours
The southern and western coastline of Gozo

St. Paul's Bay and Mellieha Bay to the Northeast of Malta
The area in front of Grand Harbour, Valetta
The area in front of Marsaxlokk Bay and Malta Freeport
The area between Malta and Filfla, Southwest of Malta
Golden Bay, Ghajn Tuffieha Bay and Gnejna Bay at the North-western part of
Malta

The areas left after the elimination of unsatisfactory areas as a result of using the
exclusionary criteria are not necessarily all the most potential areas for a land
reclamation project. Some of the areas left will turn out to be better than others and
shall thus be highlighted. The following criteria may be used for highlighting promising
areas:
Limited Conflicts related to protected Nature Territories
Land reclamation close to areas of key interest because of their scenic beauty and
wild life should be avoided.
Distance to Cultural Heritage sites
Areas close to important shipwrecks and/or close to unique archaeological
historical interests on the coastline must be avoided.
or
Water Depth
Areas with water depths less than 30 metres are preferable for both technical and
financial reasons.
Distance to Urban Centres
Assuming that reclaimed land will be used for recreational and/or residential purposes
(e.g. hotels, apartments, marinas), it is considered preferable it the reclaimed land is
located near existing urban centres containing similar developments (synergy
effects). Facilities at the reclaimed land (hotels etc.) need supply of water, electricity,
sewage discharge etc. Furthermore, the land should preferably be easy to access
from the existing road network.
Present Coastal Land use
Due to the impact from reclaimed land on the adjacent coast (visual impact etc.),
locations in front of urban areas are preferred to locations in front of unexploited
coastlines.
Marine Environment
Areas close to or within proposed habitat areas and bird protective zones should be
avoided.
Conflicts with Existing Commercial interests
Sites for land reclamation should preferable be located far from fish farms and other
commercial interests at sea (e.g. bunkering sites; shipping routes).
Attitude of Authorities and the Public
The attitude of local authorities and residents towards a land reclamation project may
be influenced by the execution of a public participation process. Highlighting areas
where the willingness of local authorities and residents to accept such a project
already exists may facilitate the timely realisation of a land reclamation project.
The use of Inert Material as Fill Material
For waste disposal reasons, sites and projects ensuring disposal of large quantities of
inert waste materials are preferable. However, this is assumed to be the case no
matter what site may be used for land reclamation. Therefore, in this respect, all
possible sites may be considered comparable.

Private Sector Financing

Private investors may be interested in financing and implementing land reclamation
projects, provided that the costs will be covered by the value of the reclaimed land
within a reasonable timeframe. This may be the case if reclaimed land is used for
construction of hotels, apartments, marinas etc. However, creation of new land for
industrial purposes is not assumed to be of financial interest for the private sector.
Based on the above criteria for excluding or selecting potential areas, six relatively
large coastal areas have been identified as search areas for potential land
reclamation sites:
Area
Area
Area
Area
Area
Area
1: Northeast of Malta
2: Area in front of Sliema
3: Southeast of Malta
4: South of Malta
5: Northwest of Malta
6: North of Gozo

/'
C~
,0
J
I
.
f
,I
I
(
"
-".
An overall description of specific advantages and disadvantages in relation to land

reclamation is presented below for each of the six areas.
Area 1 - Northeast of Malta:
Expected Advantages:
Area with limited conflicts in relation to
protected nature areas
The sea is relatively shallow (typically

10 - 30 metres)
Expected Disadvantages:
Land reclamation and the use of reclaimed

land will have significant visual impact on
the relatively unexploited coastline.
The area is close to/within proposed habitat
areas
Area 2 - Area in front of Sliema/St. Julians Bay:

The sea is relatively shallow
An underwater cable from Balluta to
Close to existing tourism and residential

Sicily
developments
The coastline is already heavily exploited
No immediate conflicts with existing

commercial interests

Area with limited conflicts in relation to

The sea is relatively shallow
Close to existing tourism and residential

developments
The coastline is already inhabited in parts,
and also contains considerable illegally
dumped material
There
are
significant
commercial
activities within the area (fish farms etc.)
The coastline is already being exploited
The area is of high interest because of its

scenic beauty and wild life
There is only little synergy from other

developed sites.
Permit for aquaculture production was

given near Benghajsa
No immediate
conflicts
with
existing

The sea is relatively deep

developed sites.
Land reclamation
and the use of
reclaimed land will have significant visual
impact on the relatively
unexploited
coastline.
No immediate
conflicts
with
existing

The sea is relatively deep

developed sites.
Land reclamation
and the use of
reclaimed land will have significant visual
impact on the relatively
unexploited
coastline.
The area is close to/within proposed

habitat areas

For islands at deep sea, artificial reefs, and dumping of inert material at sea, the
following overall advantages and disadvantages should be mentioned:
It is assumed to be possible to identify

areas at deep sea, where there are no
major conflicts to nature areas and/or to
cultural heritage (e.g. shipwrecks)
Since the activity is far from existing land,

there will be no conflict with present land,
use etc.
There seems to be no or only limited

incentive for the private sector to provide
financing for such projects
Following the identification and overall description of potential land reclamation areas,
and the above listing of advantages and disadvantages for each area, the initial
evaluation of these areas may be compared in order to point out whether some areas
seem more promising than other areas. For this purpose, the different areas have
been given scores to illustrate their compliance with the different criteria used at the
evaluation. The following scores have been used:
+ : Probably satisfactory
? : Maybe satisfactory
- : Probably unsatisfactory
n.a.: Not applicable
The initial evaluation of the six coastal areas and possible islands at deep sea,
artificial reefs, and dumping at sea is presented in Table 8-1. It would not be safe to
state firm conclusions on the suitability of the different areas at this preliminary stage.
Obviously, more comprehensive investigations and analyses are needed to create a
proper basis for such conclusions. Nevertheless, it seems as if the areas along the
eastern coastline of Malta are more suitable for land reclamation projects than areas
along the western and northern coastline. Areas at Gozo seem to be less suitable.
Options at deep sea are in general less problematic than options near the coastline.
However, they will probably not be realistic from financial viewpoints.

Potential Marine Areas

Artificial Islands near the coast
Islands near the coast of Malta
Area
6
Area
Area
Area
Area
Area
Gozo
4
1
2
3
5
NW
NE
Sliema
SE
S
Criteria
Deep
sea
island
Reef
Dumping
Limited conflicts related to

Distance
to
cultural
heritaqe sites
Water depth
n.a.
Distance to urban centres
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
Present coastal land use
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
Marine eflvironment
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
Conflicts
commercial
Altitudes of
the public
Use of inert
with
existing
interests
authorities and
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
material
Socio-economical
effects
Private sector financing

No conclusions on the feasibility of land reclamation projects have been made at this
stage, since more comprehensive investigations and analyses are needed in order to
form the proper basis for such firm judgements. The issue of land reclamation is
multi-disciplinary and covers a wide range of different interest, many of which are
directly linked to national interests of Malta. It is therefore strongly recommended that
the necessary further preparatory activities are planned and executed by the
Government of Malta. In this connection, the executing party could be the Malta
Environment and Planning Authority.
The private sector may very well be involved in the financing, detailed planning and
implementation of a land reclamation project, once the overall conclusions on the
feasibility of such project has been drawn by the Government on the basis of solid
pre-investigations. At that stage, detailed agreements on land reclamation may be
entered between the Government and the private sector, including clear definitions of
the duties and responsibilities of the parties involved.
The necessary
outlined below.
preparatory
work and the time schedule for these activities are
From the initial evaluation of potential areas in Chapter 8 it can be seen that many
uncertainties still remain. It should be the main purpose of additional baseline and
feasibility studies to provide a proper basis for elimination of these and possible other
uncertainties. The additional investigation and studies can be divided into the
following two main components:
Detailed site investigations at the most promising areas for land reclamation
Feasibility study on land reclamation
The marine baseline survey should be performed to enable an assessment of the
present marine environmental conditions along with the carrying capacity of the
marine environment.
The marine survey should provide the basis for a
characterization of the marine environment with respect to environmental value in the
context of designating protective zones under the EU habitat directive, and the basis
for a preliminary impact assessment for large scale marine structures in the area.
At the same time the monitoring should adhere to the obligations for monitoring under
the EU- water framework directive. The final specification of the contents and extent
of the marine survey should thus be prepared taking into consideration the planned
monitoring of the marine environment envisaged to comply with the water framework
directive.
The spatial and temporal resolutions of retrieved data should be assessed with a view
to the subsequent use.

Numeric models for predictive description of hydraulic and marine impacts arising
from the structure should be used to assess the hydraulic and environmental
dynamics of the marine system, especially with respect to projected impact of large
marine structures.
A detailed Feasibility Study shall be carried out in order to describe the Land
Reclamaition Project in sufficient detail to allow the decision makers to conclude on
whether a land reclamation shall be carried out or not.
All relevant issues related to land reclamation shall be covered by the study. The
study shall evaluate and provide recommendations on specific sites for land
reclamation projects. The study is required to assess the construction of an artificial
island in terms of:
-
technical feasibility of constructing an artificial island in the given position

economic feasibility of placing commercial activities on reclaimed land
environmental feasibility with respect to the findings of component 1
provision of necessary amounts of suitable fill material
Draft Terms of Reference for the proposed site investigations and the feasibility study
are attached as Appendix C.
The Government may be able to obtain partly financing of the proposed site
investigations and feasibility study from the EU Structure Fund or from other EU
funds.
A draft overall implementation plan for the proposed further activities is shown in
Figure 9.1. The proposed site investigations and the detailed feasibility study can be
carried out in parallel. Depending on the exact timing and the financing options for
these activities, it can be decided to perform the activities together or to divide them
into two separate projects.
No.
1
2
3
4.1
42
5
6
7
8
9
Activity
04
4
X
X
2005
1
2006
4
X
X
X

Based on the findings from the site investigations and the feasibility study, a political
decision should be made on whether to proceed with the land reclamation project or
not. If yes, a Land Reclamation Request for Proposals (RFP) should be prepared, to
invite private developers to propose land reclamation projects. The RFP should
clearly describe the requirements of the proposers to provide a binding written
proposal based on the covenants, terms and conditions spelled out in the RFP to
provide the complete services, works and facilities for a land reclamation project,
including the financing of the project. The developer will be responsible for providing a
full EIA related to the project development.

12/:
Position Paper on Disposal of Waste at Sea, July 2001, Environmental

Management Unit, Planning Authority.
13/:
Alignment of Marine Habitat Data of the Maltese Islands to conform to the

requirements of the EU habitat Directive (council Directive 92/43/EEC),
August
2002, Joseph Borg and Patrick Schembri.
14/:
A Solid Waste Management Strategy for the Maltese Islands, September 2001,
Carl Bro International.
15/:
Information received from WasteServ Ltd. at meetings held during the

Identification Mission in November 2004.
16/:
Carl Bro study on land reclamation at Maghtab, For Med Design Consultants,
2001
171
Land reclamation
2004
181
FAO Country profile for Malta, FID/CP/MAT, Rev.4 October 2001

http://www.fao.org/fi/fcp/en/MLT/profile.htm
191
Malta Centre for fisheries Science, 2001,

http://www.maltafisheries.gov.mtlmcfs_aquaculture_history.htm
Project Identification Mission, MEPA background material,
1101 Marine protected area In Malta, MEPA, 2004,

http://www.mepa.org.mtlplanning/index.htm?sp_exsum.htm&
1121 Guidelines and Designation Framework for Marine Protected Areas, November
2004, awaiting ministerial approval.
Institutions and Persons Met during the

Identification Mission
Hon. George Pullicino
POSITION
Capita Projects Department
Manager
Hydrographer
Project Officer
Minerals Directorate
Director General
Assistant Director
Resources Management
Unit (RMU)
Assistant Director Nature
Protection Unit (NPU)
Assistant Director Pollution
Prevention & Control Unit
(PPCU)
Natural Resources
Planning Team Manager
(RMU)
Minerals Team Manager
(RMU)
Environment Officer Waste
Management Team (RMU)
Waste Management Team
Manager (RMU)
Strategic Planning Team
Manager
Planning Directorate
Senior Environment Officer
(PPCU)
Environment Officer
(NPU)
Environment Officer (NPU)
Senior Environment Officer
Environment Assessment
Team (RMU)
Minister
Ditmar Wechselberger
Vladmir Filipovic
Anthony Gruppetta
Waste Treatment Engineer

Waste Treatment Engineer
Director General
NAME
Alfred Xuereb
Joseph Bianco
Louise Refalo
Godwin Cassar
Vincent Gauci
Alfred Baldacchino
Louis Vella
Michelle Borg
Dimitrio Duca
Denise Attard
Kevin Mercieca
Joseph Gauci
Michael Sant
Carmen Mifsud
Christine Tanti
Rachel Xuereb
INSTITUTION
Malta Maritime Authority
Malta Maritime Authority
Malta Resources Authority
MEPA
MEPA
MEPA
MEPA
MEPA
MEPA
MEPA
MEPA
MEPA
MEPA
MEPA
MEPA
MEPA
Ministry for Rural Affairs

and the Environment
Wasteserv Malta Ltd.
Wasteserv Malta Ltd.
Fisheries Conservation and
Control Division
APPENDIX B
Maps on Current Coastal Activities - MEPA
':oastal Strater;y
Topit
P",-p.y
WTORITA T.\' L_IPPIAHAF.

PL.\NNING AUTHOllTY
Coas~al Zone
Coastal Zone
(Preliminary)
Inset
,0
S'olt:
1.120,000
D.u :
May:001
INDICATIIIE ONI. Y
NottD1>!".,diJrdinrtirll.apnlwan.
B..
~
c::.,,'CtcJloff
'c -);6Blurvll1h_
"cl1"" 1k."" ilr
Au
rilj
C04J t41 S lrc.teg"Iop~ P"por
AW"TOl'UTJl.
l.-IPPJANkK
"[1\'
PL.l.NlolJl'[GAlJrHUJ(fN
NaturE Reserve deslgna1ed

und",rlhe Environrnel
Protection Ad
,l
Areas ofEco o[lical

ancV O( Sciertifi, Importance
Prote~tedAre~ 8..Important Ornithological

SiteE'
Dlte:
Sell<:
h120,OOO
May2001
INI:lCilTIIIE ONI. Y
Notto b!us.<11ilr l1lnet~L.
l~n.)talStr"tfr"
'Iopi: P~PQ:I
AwrOIUTA TA' L-IFPJA1'IAK

PLJJilIlIiCi Al.1Il!Ol\IlY'
iCJ
Sclllk :
DIlA!:
~20U
h120,006
lNDIC;'.Tl'IIs: DillY.
Noltot'UStdlix:dinet.~
Funa
JLp~. ~~::~~~-:
e..,~r1LI""
...
.(C
Bcale
1: 17, 500
.. ~.,.
Coula! Sbal.~
Topu:PapU
AwrORlTA
TA' L-IPPJANAR
PLAN":mll7 AllTEORIIY
Underwater Pipelines
and Cables
Stilt :
I,
:no.ooo
DlIl>.
Ma."f 2001
TNDIClI.'I'l'1li:GNlV
Ncl.to~~.dbrditet~.
.1.1I4,.1.19G1lI,...,1tu-
~,.)'W Ko"
~'Vn
'" l. ,
c~
...,.
Oil Expl.o rat ion Blocks
~D~sites
c::::::::J
CJ
011ll119,1t
Uarll~ A~3 ~xelld!!!I"1l1:J
011 ~bl3lb.
()Je I 1!ft(J bfO P II)
." t>t. __
'l._kIo "
Coastal ltr&tew
Top'" Pape,
AWTORlTil
n' l.IF-PlJ.NAR
YL).NNiNG AtJrnORl1Y
L;nd ,xtoIll of Candidate

Mrril1< c~uc!.,crt.Qn~.
(S:n.J~U"A PI" 1COO)
l:lJ!I',OOO
M.o,y%On
::ND:CAIIIIE OllL Y
UC1l:.u
ucwclbd.inctia.JA}J.clA:J.A
...
COa.J~~Zh~ccy
fop>: Paper
D
D
~din raffingwne for

O~'S .sneaM1a1et and
LEv.mlle SheOlrv\l~t~r
Land extent ofe
lilanne '
'
al,dldate
(Si~C1uConselVatl(ln Area
to PI<:ln 1QGO}
Lc,cotion of se) b
11shtarm
s..:- .
),20',000
o~aa
Coastu S1rategy
Topic ?ap"r
A WTORlT AT A' L-:PP~ANAR

ILAllNIlIG
'<.UTIIOR.1Y
SuLJrnilled Developnel
I'pp icotior
Lan~ (llJtsi(1~ Cn~"t~1

Eound.ry
Demand for Development

(1994 - 1998)
Sell<:
D<tt:
1:120,~00
Ma,y 2.01
DIDICAT:IIE JNLY
lIot t> bt 1S.dMr OrtCl irdsprrIoIi<:a.
Co~hl Sbl'~tca:Y'
Tn['lij'":l~~'t'
AWTORITA TA' L-iPP;ANAR

PLAllNDlCi J,umOlllTY
Granted Development
,Il,pplicalior
Land outside Coastal

Boundary
Granted Development
(1994 . 1998)
;co],:
DlIlk:
J:.I2U,~UU
INDI:A'I!IIE
lfQL
'bt
~2'UJ
i)NT..Y
USll!lUJ.r dm!:l,:t jnUtpl:tu.a..b:m..
Coastal Strale\'J
TcpicP4per
A'mCRITA TN LIP;>JANilR
P1AllliIHO
AU'llIORr1Y
CJ
While Area
F!(,2/1
Dwelling! WMe Arfa
CJ
Industrial Zore
CJ
aDZ
Landoulsije C~astal
Bourdal)'
Temporary Provision Schemes
within the Coaslal Zouc:

1,120,090
Mo,r :001
Jl;DICAllVEUW. y
lTct.to~e\)f~dford:irectil~l.
10
A1,iI,rrORITA TA' L-IP?JANAR

PLANllIN;; AUTHORIlil'
~
~
F'rote~ted Areas ',inc. 8~heduled

rrop~r1)', ~Joture Reserves ond
all?as that ml?rit pr01l?ctior).*
50 metre bathymetric
contour
Lana e><tent or i,;ancllClale

---
II
M~line Gonsttve:.liun Alt'a

(Structure rlon 1990)
Sunra.y oork in ~ro~s
for
CMLP and SM.P !till t> identiTy

Utu"l~
o(
PIOl~ull~n
Proposed Strategy for

the Coastal Zone
Sew:
!'Ill.!
1:135.0aO
May 2001
lNI>ICJ.m1E 0:lL Y
Noaa h u,.dtir di:tet ~.
11
APPENDIX C
Draft Terms of Reference for Additional Studies
The Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) is investigating the possibilities for land
reclamation. Especially the formation of one or more artifitial islands may be an attractive solution in
order to create highly valuable land for construction of hotels, apartments, marinas etc. In addition to
the main purpose of reclaiming valuable land, such project would require supply of large amounts of
inert fill material, which again would help to solve the actual nccd for disposal capacity for thcsc
materials.
In 2004, a Project Identification Study was undertaken by an international consulting company on
behalf of MEPA. This study resulted in an overall Project Identification Report. The Project
Tdentification Report provide an overview on current practise within coastal management in Malta
and the legislation and policies concerning land reclamation. Furthermore, the report includcs
examples on technical solutions for land reclamation and an overall identification Qf areas that may be
suitable for land reclamation projects.
The Project Identitication Report should be considered the first step in the procyss of investigating
options for land reclamation. The report highlights the need for further and more detailed site
investigations and pre-feasibility studies to be carried out in order to establish a proper basis for the
decision on whether to proceed with a land reclamation project or not.
The project subject to these TOR will provide detailed survey data on marine areas previously pointed
out as potential sites for land reclamation. It will also include a comprehensive pre-feasibility study.
which will include a multi-criteria analysis of the relevant aspects related to land reclamation and the
use of inert and construction and demolition waste as fill material for the creation of artificial islands.
The global objective of this project is to determine whether land reclamation in the sea is a realistic
option for Malta under consideration of technical, legal, environmental and financial aspects. Both
local and EU Standards should be considered.
The specific objectives arc:

To perform a detailed survey
Maltese coastline
of the marine
environment
To carry out a feasibility study on the land reclamation

utilisation or reduction of the generation of inert waste.
at the selected
options
marine
sites along the
and other options
for dumping,
The marine baseline survey should be performed to enable an assessment of the present marine
environmental
conditions along with the carrying capacity Of the marine environment. The marine
survey should provide thc basis for:
Characterization
of the marine environment with respect to environmental
of designating protective zones under the EU habitat directive
value in the context
At the same time the monitoring should adhere to the obligations for monitoring under the EU- water
framework directive. The final specification of the contents and extent of the marine survey should
thus be prepared taking into consideration the planned monitoring of the marine environment
envisaged to comply with the water framework directive.
Water chemistry
DO, bod, nutrients, turbidity etc.

Sea bed sediments
Physical characteristics,
nutrients
Benthic vegetation
diversity, coverage and quantity of species

Benthic Fauna
diversity, coverage and quantity of species

Hydrography
currents, waves, salinity, temperature, bathymetry

The spatial and temporal
use.
It is proposcd
resolutions
of retrieved
to carry out the monitoring
data should be assessed
of Benthic flora and fauna using
extensive
monitoring
in the entire area, hereby providing
intensive
monitoring
in selected segments,
with a view to the subsequent
data on coverage
hereby providing
detailed
information
on
number of species
number of individuals
Further to these parameters,

the monitoring campaign:
Marine geology
Marine arehaeology/
Ornithology
the selected areas should be investigated
ship wrecks
for the following
issues during
To assess the hydraulic and environmental dynamics of the marine system, especially with respect to
projected impact a large marine structure, the use of numerical models for predictive description of
hydraulic and marine impacts arising from the structure should be performed.
Hydrodynamics
Waves
Sediment dispersal
Eutrophication
Benthic vegetation
Along with the model results, the modclling tool, model set-up, pre-and post processing specification
files, input data, calibration log and all other data rcquired to run the model should be made available
to the client for use in subsequent feedback monitoring during the construction of the large marine
structure.
Realizing, that historic data for model calibration and validation arc scarce, the model calibration
should bc performed to the best possible stage, based on the monitored data from the monitoring
program.
A detailed Feasibility Study shall be carried out in order to describe the Land Reclamaition Project in
sufficient detail to allow the decision makers to conclude on whether a land reclamation shall be
carried out or not.
All relevant issues related to land reclamation shall be covered by the study. The study shall evaluate
and provide rccommendations
on specific sites for land reclamation projects (under consideration of
the findings from the site investigations mentioned under Component I)
technical feasibility of constructing an artificial island in the given position

economic feasibility of placing commercial activities on reclaimed land
environmental feasibility with respect to the findings of component I
provision of necessary amounts of suitable fill material
The technical feasibility part should addrcss:
construction principles for an artificial land
infrastructure requirements in terms of
surface coverage,
sewerage,
waste,
electricity,
connection to land
etc.
requirements from potential marina

maintenance requirements
environmental load from surface runoff, etc.
Thc economical feasibility part should addrcss:

cost estimate bascd on solutions from tcchnical feasibility
cost of mitigation measures rclatcd to marinc cnvironment
cost and fcasibility rclatcd to alternativc disposal options
ovcrall cconomical feasibility of artificial land
The environmcntal fcasibility part should address:
projcctcd impacts on marinc cnvironment from technical
findings
mitigation mcasurcs to bc takcn
cnvironmcntal Icgislation, both national and EU
solution
bascd on componcnt
Thc wastc managcmcnt fcasibility part should addrcss:

information and asscssmcnts on thc types and amounts of incrt wastc gcncratcd
altcrnativc mcasurcs on prcvcntion of wastc gcncration, rcusc and rccycling, In accordancc
with thc provisions of the approvcd Solid Wastc Managcmcnt Stratcgy for Malta
Thc following tcam of expcrts will bc needcd for the projcct, dcpcnding on thc combincd
qualifications and cxperience ofthc membcrs. Each expert should bc flucnt in English.
3. I
Tcam Icadcr/environmentalmanagcment
cxpert
Advanced university degrec in an environmentalmanagemcnt-rclated
f(eld
At Icast fiftccn ycars working experience in managing multi-disciplinary
projccts,
including marine environmcntal, waste management, technical, Icgal and financial issucs
Solid cxperiencc
preparing fcasibility
studies and cnvironmcntal
impact studies
(Environmental Impact Asscssmcnt and Stratcgic Environmcntal Assessment)
Track rccord of facilitating dcvelopment of consensus among stakcholders
3.2
Marinc biologist
Advanced university degree in marinc biology
Solid cxpcriencc in planning and undcrtaking of under watcr survcys at marinc sites
Expcricnce in Mediterrancan benthic and pclagic marinc organisms
Advanccd university dcgrcc in civil cngineering

Solid cxpcrience in large scalc marine construction
projects
3.3
Hydraulic specialist
Advanccd university degrcc in civil/ hydraulic engineering
Solid cxpcriencc in environmcntal hydraulic studies and related numcricalmodelling
Expcricncc with monitoring and survey campaigns
Solid cxpcricncc with scdiment dispcrsal studies
3.5
Solid wastc managcmcnt specialist

Advanccd univcrsity degrce in cnvironmcntal engincering
Solid knowledge of the EU rcquircments with respect to landfills and waste managemcnt
Expcricnce in carrying out invcntorics of landfills and dcvcloping closure stratcgics
3.6
Legal expert
Advanced university degree in law
In-depth knowledge of EU environmental
requirements and policies
3.7
law, including
coastal
zone management
Em ironmental economist
Advanced university degree in economics
Solid knowledge of environmental economics, incl. infrastructure costs
Solid experience in carrying out cost estimates and financial analyses
In addition to the above experts, a pool of experts with specific local knowledge in the following areas
must be included in the team:
Marine biology in the Mediterranean and especially the sea surrounding the Maltese islands
Relevant environmental legislation
Physical planning and development at Malta

Civil engineering
Solid waste management,
especially management of inert waste and construction and
demolition waste
Geology and the quarrying of lim(tstone
Finance and economy
For the marine survey. the team must include experienced
field studies.
and trained divers, who can undertake the
It is estimated that the duration study will last 6-9 months Depending
the study may commence in spring 2005.
on the political decision process,
Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA)

St. Francis Ravelin, Floriana, Malta.
The MEPA will provide working space for experts, premises for workshops,
communication facilities. Experts should bring their own laptop computer.
lneeption
equipment and access to
Report
The expert(s) \Viii provide an inception report with a project planning activity and resource use
schedule within the first month from the assignment start.
Technical Report no. I (Marine Survey)
Report on the marine survey, 6-8 months after start.
Technical Report no. 2 (Feasibility
Study)
Report on the feasibility study. 7-9 months after start)
Mid-Term Project Management
Report
Report re\'iewing status of project to date, including activities carried out so far. outputs completed
or under way. outcomes status of project resources, any problems encountered or anticipated. etc.,
-+ months a!"ter start.
Final Project Management
Report
Final report summarising all activities carried out in the course of the project. all outputs
completed. the results achieved. any gaps between the specifications set forth in the project TOR
and the tinal results achieved, budget used, etc.
The Contractor shall agree prior to the assignment

content of the reports to be submitted.
with the M EPA about the exact structure
All reports should be in English. 2 copies of the reports referred to above must be submitted in hard
copy and electronic format to the Main Beneficiary.
Malta Environment and Planning Authority
Mr. Godwin Cassar. Director General,
St. Francis Ravelin. Floriana.
P.O. Box 200, Marsa GPO a I. Malta
Email address:godwin.eassar@mepa.org.mt
and

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MEPA

Malta Environment & Planning Authority

Land Reclamation Study

Land Reclamation Study, Malta

Scope and Objective

The Project Identification Report

SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS

PROFILE OF THE STUDY AREA

Geology and Hydrogeology

Coastal Zone and Marine Environment

Industry and Services

CURRENT COASTAL ACTIVITIES

Current Practice - Existing and Predicted Developments in the Sea

LEGISLATION AND POLICIES

National Legislation and Policies Concerning Land Reclamation

EU Environmental Policies and Best Practice in EU Member States

MANAGEMENT OF EXCAVATION, CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION WASTE31

The Solid Waste Management Strategy

Waste Data and Existing Facilities

DEPOSITION OF WASTE AT SEA

Purpose of Land Reclamation

Land Reclamation Study, Malta

Deep Sea Deposition

IDENTIFICATION AND INITIAL EVALUAJION OF POTENTIAL MARINE AREAS

Institutions and Persons Met during the Identification Mission

Land Reclamation Study, Malta

1. Current practice, existing and predicted developments at sea (fish farms,

Land Reclamation Study, Malta

The report is supported by a number of appendices, including draft terms of reference

Land Reclamation Study, Malta

A summary of the main findings from the Project Identification

Study and the

The coastal zone is an important natural resource, fulfilling environmental,

The majority of industrial development in the Maltese Islands is concentrated in the

Extensive stone quarrying activities, in particular soft-stone quarrying, results in

Land Reclamation Study, Malta

The majority of reclamation projects carried out elsewhere are constructed on

Land Reclamation Study, Malta

There are in principle no technical constraints to land reclamation with respect to

No matter where a land reclamation project is implemented, it will cause a certain

At present it seems, that land reclamation on a self-sustainable commercial basis

A land reclamation project may provide a temporary solution to the approaching

Land Reclamation Study, Malta

decisions to be made on land reclamation, it is strongly recommended to further

Land Reclamation Study, Malta

The coastal zone is an important natural resource, fulfilling environmental, economic

Land Reclamation Study, Malta

The valuable marine ecosystems of the Mediterranean need to be preserved (to be

The majority of industrial development in the Maltese Islands is concentrated in the

Land Reclamation Study, Malta

Bunkclllll!- "It~ 1-'"

P"l'lIlar Bathllll,! :\1'""

P lit ~laj,'r LUlHIrIl!,l P"lnl

Land Reclamation Study, Malta

Commodity balance (2000):

'000 tonnes live weight

iValueof imports(fresh & frozen):

Land Reclamation Study, Malta

Land Reclamation Study, Malta

Land Reclamation Study, Malta

At present there is an increase in the production of Bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus

on the north-eastern coast of Malta

Land Reclamation Study, Malta