All posts by lifebahar

Jun 06
0

Malta to have 35% of its waters protected following the LIFE BaĦAR Project

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Dozens of newly found marine caves and reefs will be preserved through eight marine protected areas

During the closure event of the LIFE BaĦAR for Natura 2000 project, Minister for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change José Herrera announced that Malta has increasing the protected marine areas from 3,487 km2 to 4,138 km2, reaching over 35% of the Maltese waters through the designation of an additional eight Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) for Malta. These areas are being afforded protection owing to the presence of important seabed habitats, specifically reefs and caves, in both coastal and deep waters.

“This is a significant milestone in marine conservation with which Malta is marking World Environment Day”, stated Minister Herrera, while confirming that Malta has surpassed the Aichi target for 2020, with now 35% of our territorial waters declared Natura 2000 sites.

Three new inshore sites are an extension to the area covered by existing coastal MPAs, and these these include a variety of coastal cave and reef habitats. A number of species of conservation interest inhabit these areas, including the star coral, Astroides calycularis, the long-spined sea urchin, Centrostephanus longispinus, and the Mediterranean slipper lobster, Scyllarides latus.

The project also led to the designation of two completely new areas. These include offshore reefs hosting extensive and diverse communities of cold-water corals and of gorgonians, including many species of conservation interest.

The LIFE BaĦAR for N2K project also extended three offshore sites which had been previously designated as MPAs and which are important for the loggerhead turtle and the bottlenose dolphin.

Data collected in the process will enhance our marine knowledge. In this case, precious information in relation to threats and weaknesses of our seas were sought. “Now more than ever we are recognising the need to preserve our seas which is our asset to be passed on to our future generations”, stated Minister Herrera who highlighted that 80% of marine litter is land-based and generated either by accident due to weather or on purpose by illegal littering.

The ministry has recently launched two important public consultations aimed at addressing littering challenges: the amendments to the Littering Regulations and the introduction of the Beverage Container Refund Scheme.

During the project surveys, hundreds of marine species were observed, including some 75 different species of fish, 55 cnidarians (e.g. corals, sea pens, anemones), 35 crustaceans, 32 molluscs, 21 echinoderms (starfish, brittle stars, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, sea-lilies) and 15 sponges, as well as various tunicates, bryozoans, brachiopods and annelids.

The LIFE BaĦAR for Natura 2000 project will pave the way for better management of these important areas. The information collected, including on the pressures observed, will over the next few years be used to develop and implement management measures to conserve this rich biodiversity, concluded Minister Herrera

This project’s aim was to to extend existing marine Sites of Community Importance (SCIs) and identify new SCIs for inclusion within the Natura 2000 network, a network of protected areas throughout the EU. LIFE BaĦAR for N2K commenced in October 2013 and is ending in June 2018; it had a budget of €2.6 million, 50% of which was co-financed by the EU LIFE funding programme.

By protecting new sites and extending those already protected, based on the results of this project, an additional area of about 700 km2 is now being protected to conserve seabed habitats and the species that live on them. With these new sites, Malta is now protecting over 4100 km2 of its waters. This area is equivalent to more than 35% of Malta’s Fisheries Management Zone.

See:  Video on MPAs

Link to MESDC Press Release

Coastal reef

Submerged sea cave

Black corals Leiopathes glaberrima

 

 

 

 

Underwater cave with bryozoans

Sea lilies Leptometra phalangium on zig zag coral Madrepora oculata

Deep water reef with the gorgonians Callogorgia verticillata and Muriceides lepida, red coral, Corallium rubrum, zig zag coral, Madrepora oculata, and sponges

 

 

 

Apr 05
0

Call for quotations – creation of four info-slots

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ERA has issued a call for quotations for the creation of four (4) short video recordings (info-slots) of approximately two (2) minutes each.
These info-slots are part of the public awareness activities of the LIFE BaĦAR for N2K project and will contain information on various pressures and threats on the marine environment.
The call closes on 13 April 2018 at noon. Details of the call are available online here.

Dec 20
0

Fourth Stakeholder seminar

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The 4th stakeholder seminar of the LIFE BaĦAR for N2K project was held at ERA premises on the 21st of November, 2017. The aim of the seminar was to inform stakeholders on the next steps, project outcomes after the final data analysis and to invite everyone on an open discussion on potential future conservation measures.  

A comprehensive presentation on the process of identifying and designating new sites under the Natura 2000 network was given by Christopher Cousin from ERA. The presentation provided information on the required steps for identification and designation; introduced the areas within which the MPAs will be identified through the LIFE BaĦAR project; explained management considerations and the use of conservation measures. The floor was then opened for discussion.

The stakeholders participated actively in the discussion and highlighted various issues of concern from their experience, in relation to the sustainable use of the marine environment, various conflicts between activities, and the ecological impact of certain activities. 

In conclusion, the stakeholders were invited to participate in the interviews being carried out under action A8, and to think about what could be done in practice to address the pressures and threats, indicating that ERA would be consulting the stakeholders again in future on potential measures.

The seminar was attended by representatives from Nature Trust FEE Malta, Civil Protection Department, Wild Birds Regulation Unit, BirdLife Malta, Sharklab- Malta, Ghaqda Koperattiva tas-Sajd, Federation of Amateur Fishing Association, Marsaxlokk Artisinal Fishers, Fishing Trawlers Owners Association, Police Department and Transport Malta, as well as project partners and ERA staff.

Sep 27
0

LIFE BaĦAR for N2K Conference on Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean

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The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) hosted a successful 4 day international conference on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Mediterranean as part of the LIFE BaĦAR for N2K project between the 11th and 14th September. The conference presented the current activities being undertaken in relation to the project and MPAs in Malta, and brought together 95 participants from seven Mediterranean States, including a wide range of local stakeholders from government entities, the private sector, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and research institutes, as well as members of the general public.

The results presented are part of the ongoing LIFE BaĦAR project which has the aim of designating new MPAs for reefs and caves and is linked with ERA’s current consultation process on the setting up of management plans for MPAs.

During this conference, the work done and results of the project were presented by members of the LIFE BaĦAR for N2K project team within the ERA, the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, the Department of Biology of the University of Malta, and Oceana.

Speakers from ERA described the efforts made on the Natura 2000 network in Malta and related challenges and provided an overview of ongoing work to develop management measures for MPAs alongside with the ongoing implementation of the national marine monitoring programme.

Foreign experts shared their experience on a national and regional level on the management of marine protected areas and monitoring methods for reefs, marine caves and seagrass beds. Speakers included representatives from the European Union Commission, the United Nations Regional Activity Centre on Specially Protected Areas (RAC/SPA) and the Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas Network (MedPAN), as well as leading experts on reefs, marine caves and seagrass beds from various research institutes.

Participants also engaged in discussions on management and monitoring aspects as an opportunity to exchange views, ideas and experiences and discuss how challenges could be addressed, both in plenary Q&A sessions as well as focused breakout sessions.

The conference was fundamental to provide insights on common challenges faced by different Mediterraean countries in relation to effective MPA management, and kick-starting the management planning processes for local MPAs, which requires strong institutional cooperation. Local stakeholders and other conference participants noted that a participatory approach is key to effective protection, with users and stakeholders of the marine environment having a key role to play in the management of protected areas.

Link to ERA press release

 

Sep 20
0

A great success – the LIFE BaĦAR for N2K conference

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A great success – the LIFE BaĦAR for N2K conference concludes on 14th of September

It has been three intensive days filled with expert knowledge, legal expertise and interactions among all participants of the LIFE BaĦAR for N2K conference on Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas in Malta.

The first day focused on Marine Protected Areas in general with an introduction to the Natura 2000 network in Malta, an overview of the LIFE BaĦAR for N2K project, and work done through the project, in particular the project surveys and results. Furthermore, three international experts presented an insight in the designation and management of Natura 2000 sites, related and relevant projects for the Mediterranean region, and the status and need for reference conditions of important habitats.

The second day presented different aspects of management from a local to a regional scale, evaluating management measures, issues within MPAs, as well as synergies between the applicable policies. Case studies on applied management measures in the Northern Mediterranean and from the Southern region were presented and similarities and differences in management approaches discussed.

On the third day of the conference, the focus was on monitoring – from plans to be implemented to expert advice on appropriate monitoring techniques for different habitats. In the afternoon, representatives from different stakeholder groups and authorities, project partners, participants from the general public and international experts came together to discuss in small groups different aspects of MPA management and monitoring, present their experiences and views and suggest measures and approaches that could be considered in a local context.

To conclude this experience, all participants were invited to join the conference boat trip on the fourth day to visit some of the local marine protected sites.

The conference presentations can be found on the following links:

Photo gallery

Aug 17
0

Issue of Service Tender for Research and Preparation of a Livelihood Analysis

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Service Tender for Research and Preparation of a Livelihood Analysis – Part of the Life12 NAT/MT000845: LIFE+ Benthic Habitat Research for Marine Natura 2000 Site Designation Project

The Ministry for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate change has issued a tender  as part of the Life BaĦAR for N2K project. This contracts aims to implement one of the many actions of the LIFE BaĦAR for N2K project by adopting a participatory approach to the implementation and management of the newly designated marine proposed Sites of Community Importance (pSCIs) through the conduction and delivery of a Livelihood Analysis assessment.

Details of the tender can be found here.

Deadline of submission of bids: 07/09/2017  till 10:00 hours

Jul 18
0

Third Stakeholder Seminar

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The 3rd stakeholder seminar of the LIFE BaĦAR for N2K project was held at ERA premises on the 4th of July, 2017. The aim of the seminar was to inform stakeholders on the outcomes of the project surveys, which were completed in 2016, and to provide them with information on how these results will be used in the next step of the project – the identification of new potential Sites of Community Importance.

Dr. Julian Evans from the Department of Biology (University of Malta) explained the findings on the three habitat types considered under this project – marine caves, reefs and sandbanks. New, previously unknown, caves were found iPIC 1 SH seminarn high density along certain stretches of the coastline of the Maltese Islands. Information on cave assemblages was also obtained through the surveys, noting that there are changes in organism species composition connected in relation to the light gradient and water flow within these caves, which vary in terms of physiognomy.  Unexpected discoveries were also made during the surveys, such as the presence of offshore, deep water caves, found even at depths of 250 – 795 m, the deepest of which may have been formed during the Messinian (approx. 5 million years ago).

In relation to reefs, the location of coastal reef areas was already well-known prior to the start of the project, but information on reef assemblages was also recorded while surveying for caves. Surveys were also carried out in selected deep, off-shore waters within the Maltese Fisheries Management Zone (FMZ) for which no habitats data was available and within which new reef structures were identified, including ones supporting species such as corals that form biogenic frameworks. Other results presented included the observations of threats and pressures in the areas surveyed, which were mainly related to marine litter observed during the surveys. An overview of the presented results can be found here.

Image 2 SH seminar

The second part of the seminar focused on the next step of determining the areas which might be considered for future conservation under the Natura 2000 network. Furthermore, the sites which are of interest for identifying areas for future conservation were shown, based on the project results. The presentation can be viewed here.

The seminar was attended by representatives from Federazzjoni Sajjieda Dilettanti Malta, Federation of Underwater Activities Malta (FUAM), BirdLife Malta, Sharklab-Malta, the GAIA Foundation, Nature Trust, Transport Malta and the Civil Protection Department, as well as project partners and ERA staff.

Jan 31
1

Starfish with 10 to 11 arms spotted in the Mediterranean

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Marine scientists have discovered a population of a species of starfish with 10 and 11 arms living more than 200 m below the surface in waters off Malta (central Mediterranean). These starfish were spotted using an underwater robot during an at-sea survey as part the Life BaĦAR for N2K project, which aims to identify new marine areas for possible designation as marine protected areas.

A post-expedition biological analysis of the starfish confirmed the species to be Coronaster briareus, a starfish that usually has ten or eleven arms. This starfish was previously reported from the western Atlantic, where it is found from the United States to Brazil, but it has never been reported in the Mediterranean Sea, until now.

“This is a quite a discovery. What we don’t know for sure is how or why these starfish are in the Mediterranean. Either they travelled a long way from the Atlantic into Mediterranean waters, or they simply had not been spotted earlier because the animals were observed in deep waters”, says Ricardo Aguilar, Senior Research Director at Oceana in Europe.

In total, scientists from the University of Malta and Oceana spotted 26 starfish at depths ranging from 240 to 562 metres. Some of the animals reached up to 25 cm in diameter and had a fiery-red colour and characteristic pom-pom-like white wreaths (known as pedicellariae) along the arms, giving the starfish a fuzzy appearance.

“The discovery of what has always been considered an Atlantic species in the central Mediterranean was a surprise to us all. The fact that such important discoveries are made during scientific surveys covering only a small proportion of the seabed once again goes to show just how little we know about the sea which surrounds the Maltese Islands”, says Prof. Patrick J. Schembri from the University of Malta’s Department of Biology.

It is clear that more surveys in the Mediterranean may be required to ascertain its presence in other parts of the Mediterranean and the adjacent Atlantic ocean.

The discovery of this new population of multi-armed starfish in the Mediterranean has been published in ‘Marine Biodiversity’, an international, peer-reviewed scientific journal and is just one of the many new findings resulting from the LIFE BaĦAR for N2K project, co-financed by the EU LIFE+ Funding Programme and led by Malta’s Environment and Resources Authority (ERA), with the participation of the Ministry for Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change (MSDEC), the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, the Department of Biology of the University of Malta and Oceana as partners.

Link to Oceana press release

Jan 25
1

Multibeam Echosounder Survey completed

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The aim of this integral part of the LIFE BaĦAR for N2K project was to map and characterise areas of interest within the 25 nautical mile Fisheries Management Zone surrounding the Maltese Islands to fill data gaps on deep sea bathymetry and seafloor composition, as identified during a prior analysis of existing data. The survey was carried out by the company Geomara, following the award of a tender issued by the Government of Malta’s Department of Contracts on behalf of the Environment & Resources Authority (ERA) (tender CT3105/2015).

The surveys commenced on the 28th of July 2016, and were finalised one month later, on the 28th of August. The first part of the work, the bathymetric survey, was completed on August 17th, and acquired acoustic data to map a total of approximately 130,000 ha of seafloor. The second part – sediment sampling for characterisation of benthic habitats – started on the 20th of August and was finalised on the 28th of August. A total of 50 sediment samples were collected from the areas previously surveyed by the multibeam echosounder. The bathymetric surveys revealed a diverse bathymetric profile, with underwater ridges, mounds, plateaus and canyons, with water depths varying from -186 to -1192 m.
The data collected will now be interpreted in conjunction with all the other data collected through the Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) surveys, with the final aim of identifying areas to be proposed for protection.