The new Interpretation Centre at Dwejra, which will hold a permanent interactive display on marine protected areas, was inaugurated by the Prime Minister late this afternoon. The Prime Minister gave his thanks to everyone who was involved in the setting up of this Centre which is part of PANACEA (Promotion of Marine Protected Areas through Environmental Education Centres).

Also in attendence for the inauguration were the Minister for Gozo, Giovanna Debono, Minister for Gozo and the Minister for Justice, Dialogue and the Family, Chris Said.

The University of Malta represented by Dr Alan Deidun and the San Lawrenz Local Council are the Maltese partners in this international project.PANCEA is financed through the Italia-Malta 2007-2013 ERDF programme, and aims to promote the sound scientific management of biodiversity in Sicilian and Maltese marine protected areas. By housing an environmental education centre within the interpretation centre, the rationale behind the development of such a centre – i.e. that of supporting environmental initiatives at Dwejra – will finally be realised.Six marine protected areas in the central Mediterranean are participating, Dwejra (Gozo), Rdum Majjiesa (Malta), Plemmirio (Syracuse, Sicily), Lampedusa and Linosa (Pelagian Islands, Sicily), Ustica and Isola delle Femmine (Palermo, Sicily).It is expected that the centre will be considered as a portal of edutainment, in which visitors (students, divers, tourists, locals) are regaled with a didactic experience through a kaleidoscopic overview of the MPAs living resources through a number of ad hoc tools, including documentaries, interactive tools, permanent exhibitions and models and ecological laboratories among others.

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