Diving Industry News

Diving: Where’s the action?

Diving: Where’s the action?

Today’s Times of Malta has published an opinion piece targeting the lethargy in the implementation of the Diving Strategy announced last year. The opinion piece, penned by Daniel Xerri and David Agius highlights the little, if any action seen related to the objectives and action points that are to be addressed by the strategy. Divinginfo.mt Read More

€143m for in public funds for films, TV series in five years, a pittance for the diving industry

€143m for in public funds for films, TV series in five years, a pittance for the diving industry

On the 22 August the Times of Malta reported an eye-watering €143 Million were provided by Government for supporting films and TV Series being fully of partly shot in Malta. We understand that all industries need their funding, and comparisons are odious, however from an FOI request that we made last year, excluding marketing and Read More

Diving Strategy 2022 – A Gozitan Instructor’s viewpoint

Diving Strategy 2022 – A Gozitan Instructor’s viewpoint

Reader’s contribution The 2022 document was heralded as a way forward for the dive industry on the Islands, with hopefully, lots of action taken. It was, in effect, a reprint of a document ‘The Master Plan’ many years ago and during those many years virtually nothing has been done to improve the offering that Gozo Read More

Authorities dragging their feet on 2022 diving strategy – ADPD

Authorities dragging their feet on 2022 diving strategy – ADPD

Updated 11:30 with ADPD statement Timesofmalta.com reports that during a press conference yesterday, ADPD – the Green Party spokespersons remarked about the lack of progress on the diving strategy announced in 2022. DIvinginfo.mt a few days ago also reported on the lack of progress on action points in this strategy in this article of a Read More

Diving Strategy 2022 – One year later, disappointing results

Diving Strategy 2022 – One year later, disappointing results

divinginfo.mt has been in the last few weeks trying to identify the progress on the Objectives and action points that were announced as part of the “Developing a Sustainable Diving Industry in the Maltese Islands – A strategy for the future 2022” which had been announced on the 23 May 2022, in a glitzy press Read More

Wreck Buoys placed in site at artificial wrecks.

Wreck Buoys placed in site at artificial wrecks.

Well done for PDSA: Professional Diving Schools Association Malta and the Malta Tourism Authority for co-ordinating the placing of special marker buoys indicating the presence of wrecks for Mariners. Only one is left to be placed (Cominoland) which will be sorted in the coming days. Special reminder to mariners and pleasure boat owners, charters or Read More

NTM: Bugibba Breakwater – Dredging and Construction Works

NTM: Bugibba Breakwater – Dredging and Construction Works

Transport Malta issued Notice to Mariners 63 of 2023 advising that dredging and construction works will be carried out starting from the 26 April until 27 June 2023. This may make certain areas inaccessible. Since this breakwater is occasionally used for diving boats to depart from, kindly note and share so no one has to Read More

Um el Faroud graces the SCUBA Magazine front cover

Um el Faroud graces the SCUBA Magazine front cover

In May’s issue of the SCUBA Magazine, issued by the British Sub-Aqua Club and distributed globally to BSAC members and on newsstands, the Um el Faroud’s Bow stands proud and magnificent. The below Facebook post shows a picture of the front cover and other snippets shared by the article’s author. Malta is described as a Read More

Plan to create new salt pans in Xwejni, Gozo, dropped after strong objections

Plan to create new salt pans in Xwejni, Gozo, dropped after strong objections

The objections of the local diving community and other environmental NGO’s seem to have hit the target, with the controversial project having now been withdrawn according to the Timesofmalta.com article published today. The site in question leads to a much frequented diving site in Gozo with one of the most famous locations, that of the Read More

Maltese waters act as stage for an upcoming Bollywood movie

Maltese waters act as stage for an upcoming Bollywood movie

From thelucknowtribune.com Maltese waters have once again been used as a set for an upcoming Bollywood movie (read more about it here). Whilst the article below may have some inaccuracies (please note our waters never go below 14 degrees), it’s nice to see that the movie industry in Malta also manages to attract movies related Read More

Re-thinking sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean

Re-thinking sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean

Seen on University of Malta Newspoint: Around 12 Malta-based stakeholders were brought together for a focus group on sustainable tourism on Thursday 26 January 2023. The focus group followed another one held at the University of Split in Croatia, on the same topic in September. The two meetings are part of the data being collected Read More

TM – Consolidated list of Archaeological Zones at Sea

TM – Consolidated list of Archaeological Zones at Sea

On the 23 January 2023 Transport Malta issued Notice to Mariners 04 of 2023 – Archaeological zones at sea – Superintendence of Cultural Heritage (Consolidated list January 2023) The list includes the sites protected under the Cultural Heritage Act (CAP445). As per the notice, several conditions are required to carry out diving operations at these Read More

Draft Ċirkewwa Marine Park Management Plan 2022-2027 announced

Draft Ċirkewwa Marine Park Management Plan 2022-2027 announced

On the 18th January 2023, Nature Trust FEE Malta has announced its Draft Ċirkewwa Marine Park Management Plan 2022-2027. The draft was made public during an event at the starfish shaped Malta National Aquarium in Qawra which was well attended by public, with two presentation sessions having an attendance of about 100 individuals, some of Read More

The Malta Airport Foundation supports Heritage Malta in declaring the world’s first deep-water archaeological park

The Malta Airport Foundation supports Heritage Malta in declaring the world’s first deep-water archaeological park

HeritageMalta reported on it website that The Malta Airport Foundation is pleased to announce that it is supporting Heritage Malta’s pioneering work to declare an underwater site the world’s first deep-water archaeological park. First discovered in 1993 just off Xlendi Bay in Gozo, the site lies at 105 metres below sea level and is composed Read More

HPF Ranger Unit Fundraising Walk

HPF Ranger Unit Fundraising Walk

The HPF Ranger Unit, as the patrolling arm of the Heritage Parks Federation has over the last year brought about positive change at the Cirkewwa Diving Site, taking meaningful action towards protecting divers and the underwater life from rogue boaters and poachers. The Unit needs your help! As an NGO, it needs to be funded Read More

Quay Works at North Quay Cirkewwa and Sirens, St. Paul’s Bay

Quay Works at North Quay Cirkewwa and Sirens, St. Paul’s Bay

Transport Malta announced through its notices to mariners that works are starting at two key boat dive pickup points, North Quay at Cirkewwa and at Sirens, St. Paul’s Bay. Sirens is also a popular training spot so the works may affect visibility at this site as well.Notices may be seen below. TM Notice 180/2022 – Read More

Safeguarding Diving in Gozo – Opinion by Joe Muscat – GTA

Safeguarding Diving in Gozo – Opinion by Joe Muscat – GTA

From timesofmalta.com Diving in Gozo is one of the main pillars of the Gozitan tourism sector. According to the Malta Tourism Authority, 20 per cent of foreign tourists who remain overnight in Gozo practice diving during their stay. This vital tourism resource has come a long way to establish itself as a leading contributor towards Read More

Rebreather Forum 4 to be held in Malta in April 2023

Rebreather Forum 4 to be held in Malta in April 2023

The Deep Shipwrecks around Malta and the Old University in Valletta will be buzzing with Rebreathers, Scientists and Rebreather Industry High-level Stakeholders towards the end of April 2023. The Rebreather Forum 4 website announces that the scientific and industry conference will come to the centre of the Mediterranean to discuss science and technology with the Read More

M/T Hephaestus – the new wreck at Xatt l-Aħmar, Gozo

M/T Hephaestus – the new wreck at Xatt l-Aħmar, Gozo

A short history… After a four and a half year wait, the M/T Hephaestus, a 61m long tanker has been “wrecked” for a second time, this time permanently, at Xatt l-Aħmar in Għajnsielem, Gozo, on the 29th of August 2022. The M/T Hephaestus originally became a known name around the Maltese Islands after it was Read More

Gozo Tourism Association calls for better protection and access to Diving Sites

Gozo Tourism Association calls for better protection and access to Diving Sites

The Gozo Tourism Association among its budget proposals, made the following calls: Furthermore, the Gozo Tourism Association believes that the environmental planning subject is not necessarily connected on land use only, but should encompass also the coast and surrounding seas. Our coastal waters and the marine life therein form part of our environment as well, Read More

The MTA’s STAR Awards are Back!

The MTA’s STAR Awards are Back!

From Newsbook The STAR (Special Thanks And Recognition Awards) are back, after a two year hiatus. Through these awards, the Malta Tourism Authority is encouraging all tourists, visitors, and locals to submit their nominations to deserving people that offer outstanding service and who work directly or even indirectly within the tourism industry. Anyone can be Read More

Government unveils two schemes to incentivise Gozo tourism sector

Government unveils two schemes to incentivise Gozo tourism sector

From the Times of Malta The government has unveiled two schemes aimed at incentivising Gozo’s tourism sector. The two schemes – for marketing initiatives and so-called adventurous tourism efforts – will be open until December 2023. Unveiling the schemes, Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri said although the industry is now doing well and recovering from the Read More

Submarine Training near HMS Stubborn

Submarine Training near HMS Stubborn

From Transport Malta Local Notices to Mariners Transport Malta is notifying mariners (that includes diving boats) that there will be some Submarine Training near to HMS Stubborn between July2 and July 14. A safety zone of 200m must be kept. It is unclear if diving will be allowed on HMS Stubborn. A copy of the Read More

The Seahorse Trust: Project Malta

The Seahorse Trust: Project Malta

From Facebook SeaHorse Trust Page MALTA DIVERS- we need your help! There isn’t much data on seahorse populations in the waters of the Maltese archipelago and we need your help to start to collate and monitor seahorse populations in these beautiful waters. We’d like to get a better idea of the seahorse population in Malta, Read More

Malta should declare an ecological protection zone

Malta should declare an ecological protection zone

From Times of Malta A recent appeal by the President of the Republic for better and higher protection of our environment triggered my memory and spurred me to share publicly for the first time a proposal I had made, after months of meticulous research, to the Nationalist Party’s parliamentary group repeatedly since 2019 up until Read More

Museums equipped with technology aimed to create awareness about the Mediterranean sea

Museums equipped with technology aimed to create awareness about the Mediterranean sea

From TVM News By next year people will have a greater understanding of what’s in the sea around us and why it’s important that we conserve it. This is possible thanks to the Corallo project which among other things will create a new attraction in museums using technology to make both Maltese and tourists more Read More

Lack of fish has turned Malta’s sea into ‘a beautiful cemetery’

Lack of fish has turned Malta’s sea into ‘a beautiful cemetery’

From Times of Malta Scuba divers who have been visiting the island’s underwater dive sites for decades are noticing a dramatic decline in fish populations. Seasoned divers who have been inside every marine cave for many years say today’s underwater life is nowhere as glorious as it used to be. “I have a Dutch friend Read More

New diving strategy to ensure year-round access to popular sites

New diving strategy to ensure year-round access to popular sites

From Times of Malta Seashore ladders at Malta’s top diving sites will no longer be removed in winter, as the island plans on boosting its recreational scuba diving industry and making up for losses inflicted by the pandemic. The authorities will also look into ensuring the availability of parking spots close to diving sites and Read More