Owners of boats moored outside the American University of Malta  campus in  Cospicua will be allowed to keep their vessels in place following an agreement reached between the government and the university, Parliamentary Secretary Glenn Bedingfield has said.

Bedingfield said a deal had been struck with AUM and that owners would be informed of further developments, reiterating that - as previously assured - no one would be required to remove their boats from Dockyard Creek in Bormla.

Earlier this month, owners had been instructed to remove their vessels by 28 February after being told the area constituted the university's "private water space".

The dispute has drawn political criticism, with the party Momentum saying the announcement may temporarily reassure owners but raises wider concerns about transparency and governance. The party called on AUM's rector to specify which clause in the government concession deed allows the university to lease or control berths adjacent to its campus, and urged that full details of the agreement reached with the government be made public and presented in parliament. It also requested that the National Audit Office examine whether the original concession terms are being respected.