02/02/2026
Ballut ta’ Marsaxlokk, as we know it today, is just one chapter in a much longer story. By piecing together scattered records and local knowledge passed down over generations, it is possible to trace a history that highlights how transitional wetlands are, especially when shaped by human activity.
In the distant past, this area formed the mouth of a valley system flowing into Marsaxlokk Bay. Being located in the drier south of Malta, it was likely one of the first valley mouths on the island to dry out, unlike those in the wetter northwest and central regions.
Marsaxlokk itself was originally settled by farmers from Żejtun, likely of Sicilian origin, who turned to fishing during the calmer summer months. Until the late 1800s, local fishermen used a system of fish ponds connected to the sea to store their catch during winter, when rough seas made fishing difficult. Fish were kept alive and harvested as needed.
A major turning point came in 1908, when a powerful sea surge triggered by an earthquake in Sicily flooded the ponds. Silt was washed in, raising the land and encouraging the growth of reeds. In the decades that followed, the area changed hands, was briefly used as a hunting ground, and was later reshaped with the construction of a quay in the 1950s.
By the mid-20th century, the area had naturally developed into a saline marsh, regularly flooded by winter seas. Habitat works carried out in the 1990s helped shape the pools and channels we see today, creating an important refuge for plants, birds, and other wildlife.
Recognised for its ecological value, il-Ballut was legally protected in the 1990s and later became part of the Natura 2000 network. Today, this small but remarkable wetland tells a much larger story. A story of traditional livelihoods, natural forces, and nature’s resilience that is so integral yet forgotten as part of Marsaxlokk's history in a current age of overtourism and exploitation.
On World Wetlands Day, il-Ballut ta’ Marsaxlokk reminds us how wetlands have been integral to the story of humans and are not just gardens that we are protecting for environmentalisms sake.
