Traditional Maltese fishing boats will be a thing of the past in 30 years’ time, surviving only on postcards, according to an association recently set up to promote and save them.

Many are being abandoned, left to decay and destroyed, the Malta Traditional Boats Association says, as it appeals for storage space to preserve and restore the remaining few “before they are lost forever”.

Since these boats are considered impractical for commercial fishing, with the wood needing expensive maintenance, fibreglass boats are being used instead while many have been converted into motorboats, the association says.

Lateen sails have disappeared from Maltese waters – “a heritage disaster”, it says.

70 abandoned boats collected off local streets

The Cleansing and Maintenance Division recently embarked on a programme to remove dumped vessels from the streets but this is considered a “big problem” for the group of enthusiasts, whose aim is to keep the luzzu alive.

Local councils, on the other hand, think they are saving the traditional boats by plonking them in roundabouts and gardens. But this was not ideal either, said association president Noel Demicoli, explaining that they survive best in the sea.

The association is suggesting compiling a list of abandoned boats and determining what was worth saving – although it maintains not many are left after the cleansing division recently scooped up about 70.

If these are donated to the association, the next hurdle, however, would be finding the covered sites to store and work on them.

Heritage Malta and the Culture Ministry have both been “receptive” to the association’s ideas, recognising the boats’ value, Demicoli acknowledged, but sites on offer would only be available in the future.

The lack of synergy between government departments was also putting spokes in the wheels of the initiative to save the traditional boats, he added.

“I am sure the Cleansing and Maintenance Division is not aware of their value and is just doing its job to remove what can be eyesores that turn into open skips for dumping,” Demicoli said, admitting there was also “rubbish” that was not worth saving.

One that did deserve to be salvaged, however, was a “beautiful” 100-year-old boat in Delimara.

But it was smashed, and its destruction filmed for a promotional video of the cleansing division, fuelling frustration among passionate boatbuilders.

Association member and boatbuilder Daniele Baraggioli said he felt like an “erupting volcano” when he saw the video, questioning the validity of its tag line – “we care”.

Passing the buck

Passionate about old sailing vessels and himself the owner of a gozzo (dgħajsa tal-Latini) from 1952, which he restored and is now at sea, Baraggioli is trying to take abandoned traditional Maltese boats to his yard at his own expense and start the restoration process... but he has only found closed doors.

He refers to another casualty in Vittoriosa, which had two notices of removal and destruction and which he attempted to save in vain.

Contacting the various related authorities led to nowhere, Baraggioli said, because the vessel’s owner could not be identified since it had been scrapped.

Transport, local council and fishing entities said it was not their responsibility.

“I was told I could not take it to my own yard to restore it at my expense because it was not mine. But others could destroy it even though it was not theirs,” he pointed out.

The vessel had engravings that were “not just drilled holes, but the technique of a master”, he insisted.

“We are talking about Mediterranean heritage being destroyed – not just Maltese,” he said, calling for the public to “wake up” and do something about this.

Lateen rigs, with their ancient sail system, were rife in Portugal, Sardinia and Italy’s Campania region. But in Malta, which has such an interesting navigation history, these boats were left to rot, lamented Baraggioli, who has just written a children’s book on traditional heritage at sea.

The traditional fishing boats do not just have cultural value but are also an integral part of tourism, Demicoli highlighted.

While the colourful image of the luzzu features on every postcard and is a strong promotional tool, none will be around in three decades, he believes.

It is high time, he insists, that the tourism industry contributes to safeguarding this attraction it relies on so heavily.

“Imagine Marsaxlokk without a luzzu,” Demicoli urged.

“Would you go there as a tourist?”

He noted that the boats are being used as displays for fish and even shelters for cats, but they will not last long like this.

Damage starts to seep through if the boats are left to dry out in the sun, leading to cracks, or if they get wet with fresh water, which makes them rot faster, he explained.

Maintenance schemes for these traditional boats only cover full-time fishermen, so Demicoli is suggesting a restoration grant, similar to what could be applied for to restore traditional Maltese balconies.

He also pointed out the lack of a law that prevented a luzzu from being “chopped up and sold in pieces”.

The association is also seeking to have allocated areas in traditional seaside towns and villages reserved for the restored boats to be moored together as seen in other countries.

In view of the disappearing sailing heritage, with few boatbuilders left, it wants to set up a course in collaboration with the Malta College of Arts, Science & Technology, the University of Malta and Heritage Malta.

No one has taken up a specialised MCAST course on traditional boatbuilding, Demicoli noted, but with the collaboration of the university and the national agency, which have the structures in place, he believes the interest is there.

The NGO was officially set up in November after a group of enthusiasts decided to stop just being “armchair critics”.

Their aim, Demicoli said, is to share their “love” for various types of sail boats, including the ferilla, dgħajsa tal-Latini, kajjik and frejgatina, and contribute to their revival.

A ferilla from Gozo, destined for destruction, has already been saved and Heritage Malta has given it a home, adding to its collection.