Protest Mounts Against Maltese BF Farm Responsible For Slime

St.Paul’s Bay-based bluefin farm, Azzopardi Fisheries, is accused of being the origin of sea slime that has been a cause of concern for Maltese authorities and beach-goers for the past few weeks. A group of environmentalists and concerned citizens gathered in front of the company last week, as part of the campaign ‘Dardartu Lilna, Dardartu Baħar,’ which translates in English to ‘Darkness to Us, Darkness to the Sea,’ urging the company to take steps to clean up. The protesters also slammed the Fisheries Ministry for its silence and inaction.

Charles Azzopardi, owner of the farm, said he deployed three vessels to clean the slime. When asked the reason for the sludge to spread, he said that he does not know and it has never been like this, reported news site Times of Malta. Meanwhile, the Maltese environmental watchdog, the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA), is likely to fine the firm causing the issue, but did not confirm that it will be Azzopardi Fisheries. The news site reported that ERA is still in the process of taking action and calculating the administrative penalty. Several tourists and locals took to social media to share how the slime has been impacting them, with beachgoers slipping and having minor injuries, which were among the most common complaints.