Gozo should be preserved

This IS A plea to all Gozitans, Maltese, expatriates and other residents of this beautiful island, to all politicians, and in particular the Minister of Gozo and MEPA.

Gozo has been plundered for centuries, and is still being plundered in the 21st century. Are we going to sit back and allow a select few (laundry men?) to finally destroy Gozo? This island does not belong to you or me or them - it belongs to all the people of Gozo and their future progeny. We only have it on loan and it is our duty to preserve it for future generations.

So much Gozitan heritage has already been destroyed or lost, sometimes because people simply did not know better (e.g. using parts of old temples for building purposes) and on other occasions, ruthless destruction took place for financial gain (e.g. the Punic temple/sanctuary, the first excavations of the Xaghra Circle, and more recently, Fort Chambray).

I was shocked to read press reports instigated by Alternattiva Demokratika on the extensions proposed for the Ta' Cenc complex. Extensions that have nothing to do with the golf course.

Ta' Cenc is one of the most environmentally fragile, diverse and spectacular, relatively unspoilt, natural regions found in Gozo. Do we really want to destroy it?

Does this island need another hotel and more villas at this stage? L-Imgarr and Andar hotels have closed down. Maybe one day they will become apartment blocks. The Cornucopia and Calypso hotels have their own apartment complexes, the Kempinski hotel is also building apartments as it obviously could not survive as a hotel alone. The proposed hotel at Fort Chambray is still under consideration.

Do we want the whole island to become a concrete jungle? Can we not utilise the buildings which already exist, before encroaching on more and more agricultural or wilderness areas? Before quarrying more stone of which there is not an endless supply?

There are thousands of unfinished and unsold shells of buildings and apartments strewn all over the island, some of which have been rotting for years. Fort Chambray is an example, but one only needs to drive past Marsalforn or Xlendi. There are a few horrific examples in Zebbug as well, in fact, all the villages appear to suffer from this ailment.

There are also hundreds, if not thousands, of ruins and derelict houses in the villages. I am aware that the ownership of many of these houses is subject to irresolvable family inheritance disputes and that the ridiculous inheritance taxation and outdated rent laws have often prevented such properties from being used. These buildings and shells obviously do nothing to enhance the villages.

Instead of building new villas, with the resulting environmental impact, such as having to quarry new stones, couldn't some of these deserted buildings be leased or purchased and turned into townhouses/villas for tourists? Most people who appreciate nature would also appreciate the opportunity of staying in a lovely historical residence as well.

Please let us use what we have before destroying it by changing it into something that we think we should have.

If Ta' Cenc obtains permission to extend, what is to stop MEPA from granting permission for Ramla to be enclosed by luxury villas and blocks of flats? Dwejra would be next; there are already a couple of illegal villas there which nobody seems to take notice of.

There are so many resorts on the Mediterranean coast which have been over-developed - if someone wants wall-to-wall apartments and hotels, there are enough on offer. Marsalforn and Xlendi are on their way to becoming such places, but at least there are still some open areas not far away.

The charm of Gozo lies in its natural resources, its compact size, its wealth of historical and archaeological sites and of course its people. The flat-topped hills are fascinating, the coastline is spectacular and Ramla is still remarkably unspoilt, and more than just a bathing resort with its underwater fortifications and buried Roman villa. Ggantija is simply unique.

The Xaghra Stone Circle, the remains of Santa Verna Temple, the cart ruts which appear all over the island, the dolmens and other archaeological sites are a specialised tour just waiting to be put together.

The much more recent and unfortunately vandalised Punic temple/sanctuary in the northwest of Gozo is very special and worth protecting. Read Dr Joseph Bezzina's books and articles for more information.

Migratory birds (if they were protected) are another natural resource and a niche market - for example, the Audubon Society of America sends hundreds of its members all over the world on specialised nature tours.

What an opportunity it would be to offer people the privilege of watching tired, weary birds arriving on these islands, being welcomed by the availability of fresh water sources, and the natural food it would provide in the way of plants and insects, and departing fresh and ready to continue their journeys. Instead, these poor creatures are met with volleys of gunshot. BirdLife Malta can provide more detailed information.

There are no easy solutions to the problems of this island and it is too late for many things. The Xaghra Stone Circle has probably been irrevocably damaged. The carvings in the Punic temple are lost forever. At least one of the ll-Mixta cave dwellings on Ghajn Abdul was a victim of the quarry. Dolmens have collapsed and been dispersed. Cart ruts have been buried. Remains of ancient temples are decaying, unprotected in several places. Many recorded megaliths have simply disappeared or been incorporated into buildings or walls. The list is endless but it is never too late to try and make amends.

Let us try and preserve what is left of the natural beauty of the island so that future generations can climb Ta' Dbiegi when the wind is blowing and the narcissus are flowering. Or carefully step from stone to stone on the garigue - or better still along a path - trying to spy the exquisite, tiny bumble bee orchid that survives the harsh climate of Ta' Cenc. Or walk along Ramla beach and marvel at the beautiful pebbles washed up. Or sit on a stone and watch the inquisitive lizards come to look-see what they are doing.

The older generations were unable to prevent many things from happening to the island. They were too busy trying to make ends meet, tending their fields, feeding their families and surviving. Thank goodness the younger generation appear to be more aware, informed, mobile and well-travelled, perhaps they can make a difference.

It is for them that we should do our utmost to act as guardians of the island, to protect it from ruthless, money-grabbing, insensitive speculators and other undesirables.