Fish slime re-appeared in a number of bays around Malta over the weekend, amid allegations that a ninth tuna pen has appeared in the St Paul’s Bay area in spite of regulation stipulating that there should be eight, Environmental organization ‘Stop the Slime’  has told The Malta Independent.

Photographs provided by the same group show large amounts of white foam in the sea beneath the tower in St Paul’s Bay, and within Exiles Bay, Sliema.

A report commissioned by the Environment Ministry, which was published in August 2016, had confirmed that the infamous sea sludge mostly came from the fish farms.

This was also confirmed by Salvu Ellul, owner of MFF Ltd, who acknowledged that the pollution is caused by the fishing industry.

Environment Minister Dr Herrera had said, when the report was published, that some of the companies had more cages than they are allowed and others had bigger or deeper cages than what is stipulated in their permits.

Some were farming types of fish they are not allowed to breed. Some were also found to be using a type of feeding method, which used bait with a higher fat content than the norm, which was leading to the slime often seen around popular bays.

It was also explained that frozen fish was being let to defrost inside the cages, releasing fish oil which turns into foam when it reaches the coast.

The sludge had caused widespread anger from the population throughout 2016 after it plagued a number of bays around the Maltese Islands, particularly the eastern and southern parts of Malta, so much so that clear distinct large patch of sea sludge was visible from an aerial view.

In September, the Planning Authority voted for the revocation of permits of fish farms which were found to have illegalities.

The following October, six illegal pens had been removed in the St Paul’s Bay area, leaving eight pens permitted.

However, in the same month people had already found fish intestines and fins floating around Ghadira Bay in Mellieha.

fish slime from The Malta Independent on Vimeo.

By January 2017, the ‘Stop the Slime’ claimed that a new illegal tuna pen had been added to the eight stipulated by law.

This, the group claims, runs contrary to the Unilateral Undertaking Declaration which says that there should be 8 pens.

“Fish farm operators presented & signed a 'Unilateral Undertaking Declaration' last year on 19 September during the Planning Authority hearing agreeing to remove the illegal nets with ''the remaining 8 x 50m tuna cages are to be emptied by 31 December 2016'' [Page 3, Para 3]” a social media post read.

“2017 Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU, is this the way to show the rest of Europe what good governance is when we can't even take care of our own back garden???”

“A classic case of two steps forward and one step back”

The Ministry for the Environment has not responded to questions sent by The Malta Independent.