Malta’s seas are getting a helping hand.
An additional €4.6 million in EU co-financing has just been secured to continue and expand the Marine Conservation – An Inclusive Approach to Managing Marine Resources project, first launched in February 2025.
And this next phase is zooming in on something crucial beneath the surface: helping underwater habitats recover, particularly fragile seagrass meadows.
Seagrass meadows might not look like much at first glance, but they’re absolute powerhouses for marine life. They act as nurseries for fish, store carbon, stabilise the seabed and keep our waters healthier overall.
The problem is that they’re incredibly vulnerable to damage, particularly from seabed disturbance like anchoring and other human activity.
Now, part of this new funding will go directly towards reducing seabed damage in sensitive areas, testing practical, real-world restoration solutions and actively supporting the recovery of degraded underwater habitats.
Beyond seagrass restoration, the project will also launch a public digital platform so people can track the health of Malta’s marine environment over time, carry out targeted scientific studies to improve sustainable fisheries management in protected areas and provide clearer, science-based guidance to support consistent marine decision-making.
The initiative continues Malta’s work within its marine Natura 2000 sites, as well as broader EU environmental commitments aimed at achieving Good Environmental Status across our waters.
At the heart of the project is an ecosystem-based management approach, meaning human activities, conservation efforts and stakeholder input are all considered together rather than in isolation. The ultimate goal is a shift towards genuinely sustainable use of Malta’s marine environment, while actively restoring habitats and protecting marine biodiversity for the long term.