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The Cirkewwa Voluntary Marine Reserve

By Antonio Anastasi

When in 1985, I, together with George Vella and Tony Lautier  started the first Marine Conservation Society to promote the banning of spearfishing with aqualungs and the creations of marine sanctuaries, we were supported by many UK divers. Also giving us a lot of input were the MCS of the UK. One of the things they had mentioned was the efforts that were being made at St.Abbs in Scotland to make this a Voluntary Marine Reserve (VMR).

During the past 26 years I had often listened to visiting divers about the merits of diving there as well as read many features about St.Abbs. So it was no surprise that at a moment of frustration at governmental red tape this VMR of 26 years popped into my mind like a blinding light.

http://www.marine-reserve.co.uk/

To gain more grass root support the DECLARE CIRKEWWA A MARINE SANCTUARY NOW group on Facebook, asked and received positive and generous support from the local diving clubs that between them represent some 4000 local and expat divers. These clubs are ATLAM, BSAC Calypso, Amphibians as well as those others represented by the Federation of Underwater Activities (FUA).

Realizing that  it is going to take at least a couple of years for Cirkewwa to have a legal standing as a Marine Protected Area (MPA)

I sat down with the representatives of the local diving clubs and we agreed that the best way  forward was to take steps and follow through on the example of the St.Abbs VMR and  declare Cirkewwa a VMR. We contacted Lawson Woods who is a founding member of the  St.Abbs VMR, and since then we have their moral support as well as advise on how to go about things.

On the 14Th of December, we launched the CIRKEWWA VOLUNTARY MARINE RESERVE (VMR). We did this during the Annual General Meeting of the FEDERATION OF UNDERWATER ACTIVITIES (FUA).

What is a Voluntary Marine Reserve?

A VMR is a marine reserve in which users agree to abide by a code of conduct allowing all users to get the best out of the area with an eye to its preservation for future users. It is a gentlemen’s agreement in which everybody agrees to abide to rules on a voluntary basis.

Early this year we will start an outreach to the other parties interested parties.

Who are the interested parties?

Anybody that uses the surface, shoreline and sea bottom at Cirkewwa. Divers, Anglers, Fishermen, boat users, dive boats. There are also parties that have an indirect interest in the area, like NGOs, hotels and restaurants, both of which offer services to the diving tourists, local councils.

What are we asking?

We will be asking fishermen to abide by the law, and to take small proactive steps to promote sustainable fishing. One idea would be to ask that any fishing that is done at Cirkewwa be done away from the wrecks which have attracted much life and are used as breeding grounds by amongst others, Squid.

We will be asking anglers to contain, to specific areas and and see about introducing a catch and release program as well as making sure that appropriate line and sinkers are used so these do not end up littering the bottom and becoming a danger to fish and divers.

We will be asking that, for the safety of divers, all boat users do not traverse the area between the buoys and the shore, but navigate to the seaward side of the buoys.

Because of sensitive and unique flora that is found on the sand in the proximity of the P29 we are hoping to ask that dive boats do not anchor on the sand there. We also hope that these adopt a policy of not anchoring, but stand by off anchor.

We hope to ask and get the cooperation of restaurants to help sustainable fishing by ensuring that they purchase fish from sustainable fishing and not from illegal means.

We have already set up a CODE OF CONDUCT  for the diving community and we are reproducing it here:

CIRKEWWA OFFERS A RICH AND DIVERSE RANGE OF MARINE LIFE, YOUR CO-OPERATION IN PROTECTING THIS AREA FOR FUTURE ENJOYMENT WOULD BE EXTREMELY VALUABLE.

PLEASE ADOPT RESPONSIBLE DIVE PRACTICES TO AVOID DAMAGING MARINE LIFE BY:

• Ensuring that you are in good control of your buoyancy at all times, and avoid using rocks as ballast as they are living reefs
• Avoid excessive finning in close proximity to the reef as it can dislodge and damage life.
• Keep your equipment secured and streamlined

PLEASE ADOPT A RESPECTFUL AND PASSIVE APPROACH TO MARINE LIFE:

• Do not harass flora or fauna
• Do not collect souvenirs (dead or alive)
• Whenever possible avoid swimming under overhangs as bubbles can damage delicate coral growth, including star corals (Astroides calycularis) which are a protected species.
• Avoid entering areas of wrecks where squid eggs hang as bad buoyancy or bubbles can dislodge these
• Do not remove octopus from their dens as they may be protecting eggs
• When swimming over sand take care to not stir up the environment as sand are living habitats

Dive boats should try to not anchor too close to wrecks as they may damage unique sea grass beds, or on Posidonia Meadows as they are akeystone species in housing ecosystems and are also a protected species.

• Do not damage urchins, as the rock sea urchin and the Needle-Spined Urchin (Cetrostephanus longispinus) are protected species
• Do not spearfish, especially with aqua lung as it is illegal
• Do not leave any litter in the sea or surrounding area, please use bins provided

We will also be asking MEPA, the TRANSPORT AUTHORITY, FISHERIES to do their part and ensure that the police presence at the Cirkewwa terminal, roster in regular foot patrols as a deterrent to illegal fishing.

To date we have the support of Nature Trust (Malta), the PDSA and are hoping to have the support of entities such as Hotels and restaurants, the Melliha Local Council.

In order to educate users, in this case starting with the divers we will be placing educative placards which are being sponsored by Maltaqua Diving Centre.

We are also looking for sponsorship to print some 5000 educative A4 4×4 full color gloss coated pamphlets. We need around Euros 360 excluding 18% VAT. So if you know anybody that may be interested please let me know at tonio_divemalta@yahoo.com I am not sure but there may be some tax benefits for companies in this.

The placards and pamphlets will be educating divers, amongst other things, about the many protected species that are at Cirkewwa and that may need a few seconds thoughts to protect from careless and unintentional damage.

Declaring Cirkewwa a VOLUNTARY MARINE RESERVE is no small manner for if this works then we would have proved that a grass root movement can go farther and maybe be more affective than government departments who today are tied down to follow lengthy EU protocol of doting every ‘i’ and crossing every ‘t.’

However none of this is possible unless we all, collectively do our share unselfishly. As divers, maybe more than others, and as much as fishermen, we have an interest in promoting and protecting Cirkewwa, so before swimming below an overhang, think of the damage our bubbles can do. Before picking up a souvenir or put a rock in our BCD to help with our buoyancy, think of what life we may be destroying. Before breaking a sea urchin think… and before doing so remember that the sea urchin is also protected and that you are breaking the law.

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