The Green Whistleblower

Harry Vassallo's use in one of his recent articles of the monicker fior del mondo, as Malta was described in the past, has given me the cue for starting this article.

Is such a branding warranted nowadays? According to the World Database of Happiness, it certainly is since the Maltese rank, together with the Danes and Swiss, among the happiest people on earth. I beg to disagree with the result. The picture carried with Herman Grech's report on the index in The Times shows half a dozen youths brandishing beer bottles. Is this the happiness we are talking about? Washing down all the doom and gloom we are facing under pints of moonshine on weekends?

Our youth seem to think so since they are oblivious to the misdemeanours that their elders are perpetrating in this country. Were I to ask a couple of the plonkers loitering in a notorious Paceville 'public garden' if they had an inkling of what was happening at Bahrija or Kalkara, what answer would I expect?

What about this for a paradox... the report entitled "Malta tops EU moaners" (The Times, May 12)!

Bahrija - What happened to the government's media machine? Why are they so oblivious to the Bahrija farmers' plight? Do they need to be bludgeoned beyond recognition to get our attention? And what about Xarabank?

In a reply sent to L-Orizzont, one of the members of ELISA, the company that literally owns Bahrija stated that he and his colleagues intervened to calm the situation when an altercation broke out between them and farmers on site. He even claims to have bruises on parts of his body. Rather than springing to foregone conclusions, I would like to ask ELISA:

Did they report the incident to the police, as the farmers did so many times?

Does ELISA confirm or otherwise that they went to their scheduled meeting with farmers accompanied by about five to eight persons who were extraneous to the whole ownership issue? If so, why were such persons allowed on site?

If ELISA wish to answer, I will carry their replies in one of my next columns.

About two weeks ago, a particular Website, www.eclmalta.com/about.htm, was actually featuring the potential selling of the 1,500 tumoli of land that ELISA owns at Bahrija and for its suggested conversion into fish farming areas, theme parks, golf courses, five-star hotel, wind farming, horse riding, rambling and walking, available as a major purchase or by allotment.

While I may approve of some of these purported uses, I am certainly appalled by the proposed theme park and golf course. According to the Consumer Affairs Act: (1) Any form of misleading advertising is prohibited; (2) An advertisement is misleading if in any way, including its presentation, it deceives or is likely to deceive the persons to whom it is addressed or whom it reaches... Since there are no permits for such white elephants on site, the Website was duly closed a few days later.

It is rumoured that the Bahrija development restrictions will be relaxed in the near future to allow further development of villas and other residences. The Website of a leading property dealer (not ELISA), is inundated with adverts referring to the sale of land at Bahrija, some featuring almost provocative comments, such as "Plot of land, not far from building scheme. measuring 70 ft (20 m) x 70 ft (20 m). Lm6,000." The accent here is certainly on "not far from building scheme".

MEPA should intervene to clear the air once and for all by stating clearly that:

* the land at Bahrija is clearly ODZ and not zoned for development (otherwise, the current confusion will prevail, with even the Fomm ir-Rih car park featuring in a the same property dealer's Website);

* whether there are any tangible plans to augment the development perimeter for Bahrija in the near future;

* MEPA will actively enforce any unauthorised 'reclamation' of garigue for hunting or other purposes (as has happened already for 00452/03 for land 'reclamation' at Il-Kuncizzjoni), and

* publish a detailed map to show the complex mosaic of land ownership at Bahrija since even cliffs are up for grabs, it seems!

In addition, our authorities (a rare concerted effort by both major political parties, Lands and MEPA) should legislate to prevent the mass purchase of land in future as has happened at Bahrija while MEPA should move towards scheduling notable natural features around the troubled former hamlet for their continued public enjoyment.

Is the government so saddled with debts that it does not envisage purchasing (requisition) the entire area from ELISA and set up heritage/ecotourism trails to buttress our ailing tourism sector? Imagine what a boost for our image publicising the Fomm ir-Rih/Qortin promontory area as a walking trail abroad would be!

Kalkara - our environment authorities argue that Kalkara Valley has been saved but a visit to the area will give you a whole melange of different sensations. Just ask the 75-year-old farmer who has been inextricably tied to his parcel of land since he was a boy and who cannot hold back tears whenever he visits the site - quite long in the tooth, he is ready to fight on while our youth, arguably more energetic, twiddle their thumbs. And it will get worse very soon... it will soon be the swansong for more carobs and the organic farm on site.

Especially irking is the fact that the developer at first dragged his feet to fulfil his obligation (as claimed by the Kalkara council) to hand over 18 trees to the council as compensation for the trees... as if 18 trees can ever make up for the lost centuries-old carobs! The developer should take it upon himself to plant a small orchard/grove to make up, rather than the pittance he is being asked to contribute.

The active position taken by the Church Green Commission on this case is laudable... it has highlighted the fact that only the developer, rather than any other segment of society, is benefiting from the project and that a multi-seasonal impact assessment on site should have been carried out.

The pillage of the same valley will certainly cast a shadow on our country's commemoration of World Environment Day on June 5. Will there be any old carobs for sale in Independence Gardens in Sliema that day? Why don't we show the children present that day photos of the carnage and tree-chopping as part of the ongoing educational campaign targeting them?

Vandalism - Several countryside signposts, notably in Gozo (on the way to the proposed Dwejra heritage park) and around Buskett claiming that the area was a bird sanctuary, bore the brunt of the grievances of vandals who made away with signs which had been installed for the benefit of ramblers and visitors in general. In the case of the Dwejra signs, these had been installed for the third time there! Such acts certainly outshine the generosity shown by the Maltese in one-off events, such as l-Istrina! What is irking such vandals?

A transnational pearl of wisdom states that knowledge brings sadness with it and that happiness is mainly borne by the ignorant. The saying could not be more apt... if only the upcoming generations knew of the environmental havoc in this country (past and present), they would wince rather than grin.

Has-Saptan - in the footsteps of Kalkara

With the country still reeling from the shock at Kalkara, yet another tree-cutting spree seems soon to be on the cards....this time at Has-Saptan. Government and Enemalta are going ahead with the relocation of the March 31 Birzebbuga fuel tanks away from a residential area (a point about which there should be wide consensus).

However, a Hobson's choice promptly looms on the horizon as the alterative site chosen for these tanks lies bang in the middle of an established olive grove at Has-Saptan, l/o Birzebbuga. Ministers Austin Gatt and George Pullicino, bracing themselves for the more than justified reaction, claimed that this site would entail using the lowest possible footprint, that Government was actively involved in promoting the planting of olive trees around the islands, that this was the most economically feasible option and that the trees do not yield any fruit! So we need to justify the existence of every single tree on its anthropocentric merits? Doesn't every tree/organism have an inherent right to exist?

Just a befuddled logic makes you question: of these hundreds or thousands of olive trees around the islands, how many will make it to the ripe old age as the olive trees to be cut down? While it is illegal to cut down (or even prune in your own private property) trees such as carobs and olive trees (as per LN 12 of 2001, Trees and Woodlands (Protection) Regulations), how does the government condone its proposals?

While one may concede that the footprint needs to be kept at a minimum, one cannot fathom how the project cannot be sited within so-called 'degraded' land of which the Grand Harbour (one of the sites being considered since lying within the existing fuel pipeline network) is endowed with. In addition, cannot the whole project be sited further underground at Has-Saptan to avoid any loss of trees? One hopes that no stones are left unturned in this issue as the stakes are certainly high in this barren rock of ours.

Again, will the proposed olive tree cutting at Has-Saptan be featured in the upcoming World Environment Day commemorations?

Dwejra - a great opportunity

Although the designation of a Marine Protected Area for our islands has been in the pipeline for several years now, and despite all the euphoria over Nature Trust (Malta)'s receiving substantial EU funds under the LIFE programme for the setting up of one such MPA at Dwejra and despite MEPA advertising such a proposed setting ad nauseam in its regular 'One World' slots, the proposals have been met mostly with a lukewarm reception from the public.

To date, just one letter (by Mark Causon) in favour of the Dwejra Heritage Park has been published in the newspapers despite efforts by Nature Trust and MEPA to publicise the project's 25 proposed measures, which include the complete prohibition of spearfishing and commercial fishing and bird trapping in the protected core area, the management of boathouses, car parking, footpaths, biking, camping, abseiling and quarrying activities in the area, the improvement of St Anne's Chapel and of the degraded sites, the restoration of rubble walls and of historical monuments, the adoption of health and safety procedures (including the installation of a first aid centre), the use of solar power and other renewable energy sources, and the management of alien species.

Management is not tantamount to prohibition - it simply means that the haphazard "free for all" scenario to which we Maltese are so accustomed will have to be reviewed for the continued enjoyment of Dwejra.

Nature Trust (Malta) is painstakingly consulting all the stakeholders involved in extremely lengthy meetings. No proposals involving such a complex web of stakeholders as in the proposed Dwejra Heritage Park can be perfect but the status quo is certainly not an option and visitors to the area, tour operators, ramblers, divers and all members of the public should feel inclined to fight such that the heritage park becomes a reality.

If Dwejra is to become a reality and if our country is to join the rest of the Mediterranean in having its own MPA (Italy has 25 of them to date), the public should play its active part and write letters of encouragement in the press. Politicians do read the newspapers, you know!

Just for the record... I am a dyed-in-the wool diver myself (hence a potential stakeholder for the Dwejra site), not just a member of Nature Trust (Malta).

Joke of the month

The local scenario can certainly provide some side-splitting anecdotes sometimes, and this month was no exception. The Maltese Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FKGK) stated that it was asking the Police Commissioner to take action against Jan Rodts, one of the two directors of the Belgian Bird Protection Group, who was pictured in The Times last week holding two dead protected birds since he was in possession of protected species, thus contravening the law!

The federation should have called a spade a spade and stated that Mr Rodts' efforts in getting the public across Europe to sign a solemn petition to ban spring hunting in our islands are hitting their mark - in fact, to date, 160,000 Europeans have signed such a petition (including over 2,000 Maltese).

The hunters' federation also indirectly claim that Mr Rodts was repeatedly parading the shot specimens as part of "similar misleading emotional anti-hunting propaganda". So are the continuous reports (notably in The Times itself) of the shooting of protected bird species, including several waders, falcons, etc. (such as at Salina) just a figment of the imagination?

And the xenophobic pearl as always, "The last thing that Malta needs are foreigners who interfere with the progress that is being achieved..." - what progress? Are hunters shooting only quail and turtledoves in spring as stipulated? May I refer the FKGK to the damning facts about hunting in our islands as reported in "Hunters in trouble over bird trophies" (The Times, May 19).

You can add your voice by signing the long-overdue petition at www.vogelbescherming.be/.

Silver linings

Hunting successes - the Administrative Law Enforcement (ALE) section of the police certainly deserve some accolades after several successes in the fight against illegal hunting. In a case defying belief, the police apprehended hunters for possessing macabre trophies, such as legs of herons or honey buzzards and heads of birds of prey, and proudly displayed from their rear car windows or as key chains! In another case, the police managed to seize several protected birds as they were being smuggled into Malta on board a yacht - the list includes over 200 finches.

Updates from MEPA - Following my highlighting the infringements in previous GWB articles, MEPA have meted out two related enforcement notices.

St Thomas Bay - subject to complaint CM 605/05, enforcement action was taken in ECF 138/05 for excavations without permit in what appears to be a budding illegal boathouse.

Bidnija - subject to complaint CM 1005/05, enforcement notices ECF 1039/01 and 1220/01) for the dumping of inert material to open a makeshift road into Wied Qannotta and the construction of an illegal boundary wall to hold the material.

Appreciation

It is always the good that die young and the local environment lobby has just lost one of its big players - Julian Manduca. It's difficult to cut a replacement from his very block since Greens of Julian's calibre are few, to say the least. He was certainly one not to shy away from bringing to the limelight blatant cases of land speculation, development, etc. While we will certainly continue the fight, we are all aware that we have suffered a terrible loss.

deidunfever@yahoo.co.uk