Diving is important as a resource as Gozo’s citadel and its megalithic temples

Diving in Gozo is as important a resource as the island’s beautiful Citadel and its Megalithic Temples, said former Prime Minister Alfred Sant who stressed the need to protect this niche industry as much as we protect Gozo’s historical and cultural attractions. The Maltese MEP said we need to keep the diving industry in Gozo innovative and sustainable whilst doing more to make this extremely important sector for Gozo viable.
Alfred Sant visited Ix-Xatt l-Aħmar in Gozo – one of Gozo’s most popular spots with diving enthusiasts exploring under water wreckages. He was updated on the challenges facing this important industry in Gozo by Mr Mark Busuttil a pioneer of the diving sector and one of the major operators in Gozo.
Dr Sant and Mr Busuttil discussed the prospects of Gozo’s tourism most important niche which already attracts 20% among the total number of tourists that visit Malta’s sister island all year round. Despite tough competition from destinations in the Red Sea, Gozo still attracts thousands of divers from all over Europe.
Mr Busuttil said the scuttling of more wrecks in Gozo will reduce the impact and stress on more natural and environmentally sensitive sites in Gozo and will further stimulate the diving industry.
However the EU considers the creation of wrecks as ‘dumping at sea’, which is one main obstacles for its’ implementation.
Mark Busuttil said more wrecks would serve as an attraction per se and as an artificial reef for fish colonisation but most importantly reduce the impact and stress on natural, more environmentally sensitive sites. Scuttling new wrecks is the easiest way of keeping the dive product alive and innovative. The wrecks scuttled at Xatt l-Aħmar in 2006 changed it to the second most frequented site after Dwejra.
“Divers are environmentalists in their nature and wrecks do absolutely no damage. Unlike the building on land, the scuttling could be reversed. If in the future a wreck breaks and a decision is made for it to be cut and lifted, this could be done.”
Mr Busuttil said that for the sake of diving Gozo needs to create marine protected sites that have the appropriate physical characteristics of sites where marine life was abundant in the past. In Gozo the first obvious site has to be Dwejra, followed by stretches on the north coast between Marsalforn and Wied il-Mielaħ, then Comino.
“Dive shop owners like myself always try to promote the off peak months but the government needs to help us by upgrading the product and facilities.” Mr Busuttil said, adding that the local operators already face unfair competions by foreigners who operate only during the high season.
Mr Busuttil stressed the importance to deal with sewage outflow problems which affect negatively this industry.

Maltese Version – IS-SETTUR TAD-DIVING RIŻORS GĦAL GĦAWDEX DAQS IĊ-ĊITTADELLA U T-TEMPJI MEGALITIĊI

Is-settur tad-diving għal Għawdex huwa riżors importanti daqs iċ-Ċittadella u t-Tempji Megalitiċi, qal l-ex Prim Ministru Alfred Sant meta żar ix-Xatt l-Aħmar f’Għawdex – wieħed mill-iktar imkejjen popolari fost dawk entużjasti tad-diving u l-esplorazzjoni tal-vapuri mgħerrqa. L-industrija ta’ din in-niċċa importanti tat-turiżmu f’Għawdex hemm bżonn tibqa’ innovattiva u sostenibbli u protetta daqs l-attrazzjonijiet kulturali u storiċi ta’ Għawdex. Id-diving jattira 20% tat-total tat-turisti li jżuru lil Għawdex is-sena kollha.
Dr Sant ġie aġġornat dwar l-isfidi li qed taffaċċja din l-industrija tant importanti għal Għawdex minn Mark Busuttil – pijunier tas-settur tad-diving u wieħed mill-operaturi ewlenin f’Għawdex. Minkejja l-kompetizzjoni ħarxa li joffru destinazzjonijiet fil-Baħar l-Aħmar, Għawdex xorta Għawdex jattira mijiet ta’ għaddasa mill-Ewropa kollha.
Is-Sur Busuttil qal li aktar vapuri mgħerrqa f’Għawdex inaqqas l-impatt u l-fluss ta’ għaddasa fuq siti naturali li huma ambjentalment aktar sensittivi u jgħinu wkoll biex jistimulaw l-industrija tad-diving.
Iżda qal li l-UE tikkonsidra din il-prassi bħala ‘rimi fil-baħar’ u qed tostakola l-implimentazzjoni tagħha.

Mark Busuttil qal li aktar vapuri mgħerrqa jservu bħala attrazzjoni fihom infushom u bħala sikka artifiċjali għall-kolonizzazzjoni tal-ħut, imma aktar minn hekk huma importanti biex jitnaqqas l-impatt u l-istress fuq siti naturali, aktar sensittivi għall-ambjent. It-tifrix ta’ fdalijiet ġodda huwa l-eħfef mod kif il-prodott jinżamm ħaj u innovattiv, u jagħti lill-għaddasa raġuni biex jirritornaw. Il-fdalijiet imxerrdin f’Xatt l-Aħmar fl-2006 biddlu s-sit minn wieħed li ma tantx kien jintuża għat-tieni l-aktar sit frekwentat minn l-għaddasa wara d-Dwejra.

“Fin-natura tagħhom l-għaddasa huma ambjentalisti. Vapuri mgħerrqa assolutament ma jagħmlu l-ebda dannu. B’differenza mill-bini fuq l-art, it-tifrix tal-fdalijiet jista’ jitreġġa’ lura. Jekk fil-ġejjieni xi vapur mgħerreq jinqasam, tista’ tittieħed id-deċiżjoni li jinqata’ u jittella’ fuq l-art.” qal Mark Busuttil.

Is-Sur Busuttil qal li għal finijiet tad-diving, siti li għandhom il-karatteristiċi fiżiċi xierqa fejn il-ħajja tal-baħar kienet abbundanti fihom fil-passat, isiru żoni protetti. F’Għawdex l-ewwel sit ovvju għandu jkun id-Dwejra, segwit minn meded fuq il-kosta tat-tramuntana bejn Marsalforn u Wied il-Mielaħ, imbagħad Kemmuna.

“Is-sidien tal-ħwienet tad-diving bħali dejjem jipprovaw jippromwovu x-xhur tas-sena kollha u mhux tas-Sajf biss iżda l-gvern jeħtieġ li jgħinna billi jtejjeb il-prodott u l-faċilitajiet.”

Is-Sur Busuttil qalli l-operaturi lokali diġà jiffaċċjaw kompetizzjoniji inġusta minn barranin li joperaw matul l-istaġun tas-Sajf biss.
Is-Sur Busuttil saħaq dwar l-importanza li tissolva s-sitwazzjoni tat-tfigħ tad-drenaġġ fil-baħar li taffettwa negattivament l-industrija.