I refer to an article entitled “Nature Trust welcomes designation of protected marine areas” (TMIS, 8 August) in which the NGO expressed its disappointment that the area surrounding Cirkewwa and Comino, which is one of the most popular dive sites with a very rich Posidonia oceanic community, has been excluded protection as a designated Marine Protected Area.

Mepa can confirm that the sea around Comino, l-Ahrax point and the eastern side of Cirkewwa has been fully included in one of the four marine protected areas. These sites are in fact part of the largest marine protected area that has been designated and which spans an area of over 15,000 hectares across the northeast area of the Maltese Islands.

The Authority primarily identified the newly designated sites because they provide protection for over 80 per cent of Posidonia beds (merghat tal-alka) found in the Maltese Islands. In the Mediterranean, this habitat provides both food and shelter for a number of marine species, acts as a carbon sink and protects sandy beaches from sand depletion.

Mepa would also like to reiterate that protecting marine areas does not mean that all activities, including fishing, will automatically be prohibited. Rather, activities carried out within these areas will have to be assessed in terms of the likelihood and significance of their impact on the biodiversity for which the site was protected.

Peter Gingell

Mepa Communications Office