Groups Issue Urgent Call To Stop Harassment Of Wild Dolphins In Maltese Waters

A coalition of companies and environmental organisations has urged the Maltese Government to take immediate action to protect bottlenose dolphins from ongoing harassment in Maltese waters.

The group warned that repeated disturbance by recreational vessels is placing one of the country's most important resident marine wildlife populations at risk.

The appeal follows years of documented incidents involving jet skis, speedboats and private boats pursuing dolphins in areas where leisure craft frequently overlap with feeding grounds, including locations within or close to Natura 2000 Marine Special Protection Areas and Special Areas of Conservation.

The coalition said reports have been submitted to the authorities since 2022, but effective enforcement has yet to be introduced.

EcoMarine Malta said research carried out through the DELFISHPAM project identified aquaculture areas, particularly around the Delimara fish farms, as vital feeding grounds for a resident community of bottlenose dolphins.

According to the organisation, disturbing dolphins while they are feeding forces them to waste energy, disrupts their natural behaviour and may have long-term consequences for the population's health and survival.

Among the incidents highlighted was one on 22 April 2026, when multiple jet skis allegedly chased a group of 15 to 20 feeding dolphins before behaving aggressively towards researchers who asked them to stop.

The coalition stressed that bottlenose dolphins are protected under Maltese, European and international law, making deliberate disturbance illegal.

It is calling for legally binding rules governing dolphin encounters, lower speed limits in key habitats, stronger enforcement, improved public education, mandatory conservation training for sea users and a national reporting system for cetacean sightings.

The letter has been sent to several ministers and officials responsible for tourism, the environment, transport, fisheries and animal welfare.

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