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The objective of this action is to characterise past, present and future national water demand by the most important water use sectors in the Maltese islands which are the touristic, domestic, agriculture and industrial/commercial sectors.
Anchoring and mooring activity is generally associated with pressures on seabed habitats through physical damage. While the impacts of such activity are widely known, this pressure has not been quantified on a national scale. This action will address this knowledge gap by surveying and mapping the marine waters which are subject to mooring/anchoring activity. Further, within selected areas, the habitat types that are likely to be affected through such activity will be identified and assessed for resulting impacts.
Subsequently, the identified impacts shall be addressed through the identification of management options as applicable to different scenarios. These options will be subject to a prioritisation exercise, based on technical feasibility, the sensitivity of affected habitats and the outcomes of a socio-economic assessment. Selected priority options will then be implemented on a pilot basis and monitored in terms of both ecological objectives and user demands, with a view to inform management processes in the longer-term.
In line with the current work that is being undertaken as part of Action 5 of the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2020 for the Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES), the LIFE Project Management Team has identified the preliminary list of ecosystem services which are relevant to the implementation of LIFE IP actions, using the CICES classification. Changes in this preliminary list may be necessary following further discussions on the matter at EU level and at national level vis-a-vis Malta’s national assessment.