Fortunately, more and more people are realising that Mepa's approval of the fish farm application was a bitter and grave mistake. People from all walks of life and from all three political parties are calling on the Marsascala local council to strengthen its efforts and resolve in our quest to legally overturn last December's ruling.

I have read, with interest, for instance, Johanna F. Mula Grech's letter in The Times (Beyond Your Back Yard, January 17). Ms Mula Grech, who hails from Ghaxaq, urged the entire Maltese public to educate itself on matters of fish farming and warned that no one should take the attitude that "because it isn't in your own back yard, you won't be affected".

Another reader, Anna Galea from Marsascala (Veto The Fish Farms, January 19) stressed that the volume of farm fishing being proposed is half that of all the Mediterranean and said that sensible advanced countries are doing their utmost and spending millions of liri to cut down and minimise pollution. "Why do we have to do just the opposite in this day and age?" she rightly asked.

A third reader, Joe Chetcuti from Marsascala too (Proposed Fish Farms: An Appeal, January 25) asked whether the proposed fish farms will be the last in a series of blows to the only and once peaceful recreational beauty spot in the south of Malta. He appealed to fellow residents, irrespective of their political creed, to stand up and voice their disapproval.

In the last weeks we also saw various other organisations, not least the widely respected Nature Trust, speaking directly against the proposed plans. It seems that the only people in the island, except for some of the developers-to-be, who think that the fish farm proposals make some sense are those sitting on the Mepa board who decided that Marsascala is the ideal place to locate more than half the quota of tuna fish in the Mediterranean.

One argument which is sometimes brought up by the very few people who support the proposal is that Malta should embark on new business ventures to create wealth. Indeed, this is very true.

However, before embarking on business ventures one must, very carefully, make sure that any existing ventures be unharmed by the proposed plans and also analyse whether the venture in the pipeline is sustainable per se.

To take the present fish farms case, the relevant authorities, before giving the thumbs up to this absurd development proposal, had to study the impact which the aquaculture zone, if established, would have on present industries, such as tourism.

Such a study, which in European legislation is referred to as a strategic impact assessment and which is mandatory in cases like the present one in all civilised countries, was absolutely conspicuous by its absolute absence during the hearing on the fish farm application last December.

To add further insult to injury, upon my question during the hearing as to whether the Mepa board was taking due care and giving attention to the impact of this project on the tourism industry in Marsascala, one of the board members, a senior gentleman who was sitting right in the middle of the long oval table, commented that the Malta Tourism Authority did not find any objection to the application!

It is indeed unbelievable! Right when we are speaking about the need of promoting tourism on the basis of both the natural environment and the diverse communities and traditions, when we are speaking about pushing forward the idea of developing areas where Malta will have a competitive advantage over other destinations based on the uniqueness of its attractions and improved off-season facilities, the tourism authorities give the go-ahead to a project which undoubtedly runs counter to all principles of sustainable tourism.

Tourism in the south has been experiencing a steep decline, much steeper than the general performance of the industry on a national scale.

Unfortunately, I could not find any data that would show the number of tourist nights spent in the south when compared to the rest of the island.

However, I am very sure that had it not been for Maltese locals who spend their recreational time in places such as Birzebbuga, Marsaxlokk and Marsascala itself, there would be no idea at all of any tourism activity in the southern region.

Over the last years we have been witnessing the closure of various hotels in the south and rumour has it that even the most important hotel in Marsascala is close to grinding to a halt. Bar owners and restaurateurs in Marsascala have been paying higher trading licences because of their being in a tourist area. However all of them agree that recent trends and the future prospects are as bleak as the midnight sun.

This is a very sorry state indeed and the blood is definitely on the hands of the current administration which has always relegated the southern region, both in terms of infrastructure, environmental concerns and tourism-generated wealth, to second division.

The fish farming and the recycling plant sagas are the best proof.

Dr Bonnici is a Labour councillor for Marsascala.

owenbonnici@onvol.net