Bionote — 5 Min Read
Meet Martina Cutajar, one of our Island Guardians Ambassadors
Bionote — 5 Min Read
Meet Martina Cutajar, one of our Island Guardians Ambassadors
Meet Martina Cutajar, one of the Island Guardians Ambassadors who will feature in the Local Hero videos. She is a graduate of the University of Malta with a Bachelors (Honours) in Biology and a Master of Science in Biology. Her main area of interest is marine ecology and ethology, with particular interest in conservation Biology.
Martina has been the Site Manager for the Ċirkewwa Marine Park with Nature Trust FEE Malta for four and a half years. Her line of work brings her close to the marine environment whilst also being in close contact with various stakeholders on a daily basis. This ensures that they acquire feedback on the protection they are providing to the marine ecosystem efficiently and directly from the main users of the site, ensuring that they are well equipped to make the best decisions to reach the Vision of the Marine Park.
Cirkewwa Marine Park
The Ċirkewwa Marine Park, located on Malta’s north-western coast, is a pristine environment unique to Malta and the first marine park established in Malta. It is a Natura 2000 site and a ‘no stopping zone’ for fishing or leisure boats.
Funded by the Malta Tourism Authority, and implemented by the NGO Nature Trust FEE Malta, the Ċirkewwa Marine Park is home to many animals and species and is loved by divers around the world.
The area encompasses three main dive sites and has been studied to have a high ecological value due to diverse geomorphological features, healthy Posidonia oceanica meadows and species of international conservation importance.
The Ċirkewwa Marine Park took on a bottom-up management approach, involving stakeholders in a three-phase programme in drafting a customised management plan for the site. This was done to truly understand stakeholder needs and conflicts. An assessment of the site’s ecological requirements through field studies and analysis was also conducted in parallel to stakeholder involvement.
Watch the Island Guardians video in which Martina tells us more about the Marine Park and how to protect it from plastic pollution.
