Important nature areas that have been protected through national legislation cover about 20% of the land area of the Maltese Islands, apart from marine protected areas.
The following table gives an overview of the various designations of protected areas in the Maltese Islands, as per national legislation, extracted from the Common Database on Designated Areas (CDDA). It is important to note that various protected areas fall under more than one designation.
| Designation | Parent Legislation | Number of sites | Area covered (ha) |
| Special Area of Conservation - National | Development Planning Act / Environment Protection Act | 8 | 330.44 |
| Special Area of Conservation - International | Development Planning Act / Environment Protection Act | 28 | 4966.20 |
| Special Protection Area | Development Planning Act / Environment Protection Act | 13 | 1627.87 |
| Nature Reserve (Filfla) | Filfla Nature Reserve Act | 1 | 6.58 |
| Nature Reserve (Islands) | Environment Protection Act | 2 | 11.35 |
| Nature Reserve (Trees) | Environment Protection Act | 29 | not available |
| Historical Trees having an Antiquarian importance | Antiquities Protection Act | 6 | 15.95 |
| Bird Sanctuary | Environment Protection Act | 26 | 1654.72 |
| Protected Beaches | Code of Police Laws / Environment Protection Act | 11 | 31.43 |
| Area of Ecological Importance | Development Planning Act | 20 | 2940.85 |
| Site of Scientific Importance | Development Planning Act | 8 | 23.15 |
| Area of Ecological Importance & Site of Scientific Importance | Development Planning Act | 38 | 1881.26 |
Other sections related to Important Natural Areas
Protected Areas - International
Natura 2000
Site Management
Links for further information
State of the Environment Reports (or Indicators)
Common Database on Designated Areas (CDDA)
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