125 endemic Killifish, or ‘bużaqq’ as known in Maltese were re-introduced in il-Magħluq in Marsaskala in line with the Killifish Conservation Project.
The project was launched in 2015 by Nature Trust Malta (NTM) and the Malta Aquaculture Research Centre (MARC) within the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, with the support of Bank of Valletta, the Ministry for Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change and the Malta Environment and Planning Authority.
Five couples of the endangered endemic ‘Aphanius Fasciatus’ were captured and a fish-stock of around 500 was bred and raised in captive-breeding.
Speaking during the release of around 125 killifish in a fish-cage at il-Maghluq in Marsaskala, Nature Trust Executive President Vincent Attard said ‘The killifish is the only local fish that lives in brackish water. Its numbers have been declining at Il-Magħluq due to litter, predators and poor water quality and have completely disappeared from il-Ballut.’
‘Over 500 individuals were bred in captivity, which has simulated the conditions present in il-Magħluq, including the breeding of shrimps and fauna that are the staple food for the species,’ continued Mr Attard. ‘In the meantime, Nature Trust has taken over management of this place and has cleaned the place to provide an optimum habitat for the introduced fish’.
‘The next phase of the project is to monitor the behaviour of the fish in this controlled environment before going to the next stage of releasing bigger numbers in the wild and re-introducing the species at ‘il-Ballut’ in Marsaxlokk’, concluded Mr Attard.
‘Saving a species from probable extinction gives us great pride in our participation in this project,’ said BOV CEO Mario Mallia. ‘Bank of Valletta is a strong supporter of our heritage and education, and this project brings the two aspects together through the extensive research carried out in conjunction with this project.’
‘The Marsaskala Local Council worked closely with Nature Trust in the regeneration of the area of il-Magħluq with the works carried out come as a welcome relief to the residents and visitors since this area was known for bad odours and a general state of neglect.
Environment Minister Jose Herrera praised Nature Trust for its commitment to the local flora and fauna and said ‘This site is on its way of becoming an eco-tourism hotspot as well as an educational site for school visits. Measures taken to preserve the area include the installation of CCTV cameras while discussions are under way to include the site on the hop-on-hop-off bus routes.’