MARSAXLOKK

Malta’s most picturesque fishing village

The Mediterranean is the only sea in the world to give its name to a type of climate with hot and dry summers and mild humid winters. It is the cradle where sometimes in succession, sometimes in conflict, some of the most remarkable civilisations in history sprang and flourished. Those civilisations brought about a “distinct and regional identity” which is seen in the living styles of the people and their temperaments. It is the sea which is ever present, that makes men excellent mariners and tradesmen; the ubiquitous sea which has always attracted men to fish. This takes us to Marsaxlokk, Malta’s picturesque fishing village in the south of the island. Essentially this colourful fishing village has undergone many changes over the years. From a quiet inlet in the wide Marsaxlokk Bay it has long been the starting point for fishermen in their quest to fish outside Maltese harbours, using the popular luzzu until today. In the bay, lie moored a colony of boats: some large, some small, others so tiny it is hard to imagine that grown men could sit in them and not capsize. Their images are reflected in the sea, mirroring the originals so perfectly that it is hard to tell where the boat ends and the reflection begins. That eminently Maltese boat, the luzzu, has served fishermen well. The blue-green-yellow-red luzzu can be seen ferrying tourists to and from But above all it is used for fishing. You can see it in the fishing village of Marsaxlokk, but also in Marsascala, Birżebbuga, Wied iż-Żurrieq, St Julian’s and other local gems.

The main characteristics of the luzzu are the rather short stern, the moustaches fore and aft as well as the oculus, the eye of Osiris, complete with eyebrows, which gives the boat, an uncanny, almost knowing air. The tradition of painting eyes onto the bows of boats is said to go as far back in time when Malta was a trading post for the ancient Phoenicians. It is also one of the fervent signs of the inherent superstitiousness of our Maltese nature, the eyes themselves constituting, in fact, a charm against the evil eye. But of course many owners of boats embellished in this way will deny that there is anything so pagan in the decoration. It is just an ancient tradition, they will say, or that the eyes symbolise the eyes of God, put there to protect them, the fishermen, when they are alone out at sea. But these hardy fishermen also hang olive branches which are blessed on Palm Sunday. For the evil eye that lurks around every inlet is the same that drowns. The Phoenician oculus, the Christian olive branch… every little helps. To quote the Victorian poet William Watson: ‘Time and the ocean and some fostering star, in high cabal have made us what we are.’ The luzzu has trapdoors and storage areas below. These holds are where the fisherman hopes to put his catch of the day, kept fresh until he returns to port with ice that he loads off the jetty. In the far off days before he started to use ice, his fish would have been kept cool by the constant sluicing with ice-cold sea water dragged up from the depths far out at sea. A fisherman’s journey may be two hours or even two days, depending on the weather conditions the abundance of fish and how far he has to go to find them. The fisherman’s boat is his natural companion and part of his own existence. His devotion and relationship with his boat is just like that with another human being. In solitude at sea his boat and his engine become his greatest consolation empowering him to survive through all other afflictions and trials. Perhaps one of the most nostalgic sights in any fishing village has to be the blessing of the fishing fleet of the villagers by the Parish Priest on the day of the festa. The Parish Priest invokes the protection of the Lord for the coming year. Sails are now almost gone from the harbour except for those of visiting yachtsmen. Many a luzzu would chug in and out under their heavy diesel engines, no longer confined to the ancient sailing season of May to September. But even without its sails, the luzzu remains typical of these islands. From a small fishing village, Marsaxlokk has developed into a favourite tourist spot and gradually cafés, restaurants and shops have lined the streets of the village.

The church, built in 1897, is dedicated to Our Lady of Pompeii and is a prominent presence. How was it built? It was a poor church in a poor fishing village so fishermen and boat owners in 1929 decided to donate one share of every four to build it. So if you made a hundred pounds you were expected to donate 25 pounds to the new parish church. Every fisherman and boat owner followed this pious tradition wholeheartedly for a long time. However, I doubt that today many follow this custom. Another practice which helped to enlarge the church was that of donating the fishermen’s entire Sunday catch towards it. Another Marsaxlokk landmark is Fort St Lucian which is located just fifteen minutes from the village centre towards Birżebbugia. It was built in 1610 by the Order of St John to protect Marsaxlokk from Turkish attacks. The British used it as a munitions depot during World War II. Currently it is being used by the Malta Aquaculture Research Centre. Fort Delimara which film buffs may recognise from the 2016 film Assassin’s Creed, is one of the island’s coastal defences built by the Knights of Malta. Its unique location, built into the cliff face is a sight to behold. The fort is endangered due to coastal erosion so it is not open to the public, but you can see it from the outside — from land or sea. There is a daily market on the Waterfront where apart from fish, the stalls in the market sell fruits and vegetables, Maltese lace, woollen goods and inevitably technological merchandise, among which some beautifully embroidered tablecloths. The Sunday fish market, which starts in the early morning, is colourful and packed to the gills with all kinds of fish. Fishermen today are politically voiceless as imported fish stocks, fish farms, official directives and aggressive fishing operators have made their work harder and unsustainable. Their situation has become even more critical than the perils of the sea resulting in the dying out of coastal fishing communities not only in Malta but in the European Union. In the past it was the norm that the sons inherited the boat from their fathers, and this legacy kept the sector somewhat sustainable. In contrast, nowadays families are discouraging their sons and daughters from taking over the business as they do not envisage fishing as a desirable livelihood any longer due to the uncertainties that it holds. But you can be certain that Marsaxlokk will be there for many years to come.