Malta Airport’s annual seabed clean-up collects 3.6 tonnes of waste

Credit: MLA

The Malta Airport Foundation has collected 3.6 tonnes of waste from Senglea and Tigné during two seabed clean-ups, organised in collaboration with Atlam and Calypso subaqua clubs.

The Malta Airport (MLA) Foundation has been collaborating with the two local subaqua clubs since 2020. Having collected 1.6 tonnes of waste from Birżebbuġa and Wied iż-Żurrieq in the first year and 1.8 tonnes from Marsaxlokk and Marsalforn in 2021, the Malta Airport Foundation has been successful in clearing the islands’ seabed of a total of seven tonnes of marine waste since the start of this underwater initiative.

“Given that we operate in the tourism sector, we consider it our duty to do our bit to safeguard the Maltese Islands’ underwater world, which is a very attractive part of Malta’s tourism offering. Our collaborations with Atlam and Calypso over the past years have allowed us to identify underwater spots that were in dire need of a clean-up due to the accumulation of improperly disposed of waste,” said the Malta Airport Foundation Chairman Josef Formosa Gauci, whilst thanking the two subaqua clubs for their invaluable input.  

Some of the items that were elevated from the seabed during this year’s (2022) clean-ups in Senglea and Tigné included glass bottles, several car tyres, a number of ceramic toilets, a marine engine and broken boat parts. While a number of divers and land helpers volunteered to ensure the success of these initiatives, a crane was brought in to elevate the heavier waste items, such as steel construction material, at the Tigné clean-up.

In 2020, the Malta Airport Foundation had partnered with eNGO Żibel on the installation of two Seabins in the localities of Marsaxlokk and Marsaskala, where they are contributing to the maintenance of cleaner seas.