Divers will have a new wreck to visit after the Armed Forces’ P31 patrol boat was yesterday sunk just off Comino, under the coastal tower in the area known as Tal-Matz.
“After providing 12 years of service, the boat will now go through a new lease of life, as it will be a major diving attraction,” tourism parliamentary secretary Mario de Marco said yesterday.
Dr de Marco said the diving industry is developing from what was known to be a niche market into a very important one. “Last year around 55,000 persons were attracted by the diving facilities here. The average diver actually spends more than your average tourist and most stay for approximately 10 days.”
Also present for the scuttling were Martin Cauchi Inglott, William Camilleri and James Grech, the first, second and last masters of the boat respectively. Mr Grech said that the boat, which was built in 1969, was first used as a mine hunter and a minesweeper by the East German navy.
The boat was transferred to Malta in 1992, with the intention of serving offshore. Mr Grech said that the boat had provided much service throughout its 12 years in operation, most notably rescuing 251 migrants in 2002 in winds reaching a high of over force six. It was decommissioned in 2004, and bought by the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA).
Josef Formosa Gauci, CEO of the MTA, said that a lot of collaboration had taken place with the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa) in order to scuttle the boat, making sure not to damage marine life and the surrounding environment.
Project coordinator Mark Scerri Simiana said that extensive maintenance was carried out before the boat was sunk, removing traces of oil and other material which could have damaged the marine environment. “Apart from being a diving attraction, the vessel will provide shelter to a host of marine species, increasing the fish and vegetation around the area,” he said. Commenting moments after the scuttling, Mr Simiana said that the boat underwent “a perfect landing.”
There are 10 vessels in Maltese waters sunk purposely. Dr de Marco said that Malta has just recently been voted as the best place for diving in the Mediterranean, and the third best place in the world to do so by Diver Magazine, the UK’s most popular diving magazine.
“Therefore we need to constantly come up with new themes and ideas in order to prevent this particular sector from becoming stagnant. My dream is to one day see a marine park constructed which connects all the diving attractions of the Maltese islands, by one way or another, together,” said Dr de Marco.
Asked about tourism arrivals for August so far, Dr de Marco said that although the arrivals are not as bad as first expected, “they are still three per cent down from last year’s figures. This means that we must do all we can to enhance our efforts in promoting the islands.”