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What a sad sight! Two shark heads and a dead terrapin found in local waters
A busy day for Nature Trust Malta!

Kim Vella

Two calls to local environmental NGO Nature Trust Malta led to some very grim discoveries…

Taking to social media, the NGO said that the first call, which came in from Gozo, claimed that there seemed to be dead turtles in the sea. Upon close investigation, however, these turned out to be two shark heads

The second call, which came from Malta, was made after locals discovered a dead terrapin. These creatures are freshwater turtles and had no reason to be in local waters. 

In light of these discoveries, Nature Trust Malta pleaded with the Environment & Resources Authority (ERA) to consider giving cartilaginous marine life (e.g. sharks and stingrays) legal protection.

“Such fish are crucial for a balanced marine ecosystem to function properly,” the NGO wrote.

There does seem to be a solution to this…

Nature Trust Malta suggests controlling or capping the import numbers of these species and implementing an animal rescue bank for re-homing. These initiatives, the NGO said, could be easily implemented and save many creatures from an untimely death.  

“Finally and most importantly,” Nature Trust Malta concluded, “we urge the public to be responsible and considerate when adopting exotic pets.” 

“Pets are for a lifetime. If personal situations change, then the utmost must be done to transfer the pet to another safe household.”

25th January 2022


Kim Vella
Written by
Kim Vella
A highly curious explorer always looking to find her next adventure. Kim loves sharing her experiences and what's happening on the Maltese Islands. When not writing, you’ll probably find her playing around with some clay or somewhere surrounded by trees. She's always up for listening to people's stories about anything to do with nature, a passion project or issue you feel needs tending to.

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