Be proud of your environment!

I was recently in Malta on holiday and although I love going back to my parent's place of birth, I was disappointed this time with the amount of rubbish strewn all over the place, especially along the beaches, such as Golden Bay.

I was appalled that such a small island can accumulate so much rubbish and very little seems to be done about removing it. In Australia we are educated from an early age to respect the environment and I was disappointed when I saw that a lot of Maltese people seem not to care about keeping their island home free of rubbish.

All the churches and homes seem to be kept spotlessly clean, so I cannot understand why a lot of the rest of the island is in such a poor state.

On my last trip to Golden Bay (on Monday of last week), after having to walk over all sorts of junk on the beach, I decided to pick up a bag full of rubbish off the sand and noticed people on the beach staring at me, as if I was doing something very unusual. There needs to be a shift in the thinking of the Maltese.

Malta must remember that it is now competing with more countries for the tourist dollar and if the rubbish problem continues, a lot of them will look to visit other places around the Mediterranean. Malta cannot afford to lose the tourists!

I am not sure if you have a cleanup campaign running already, but perhaps a "clean up Malta" day should be organised. In Australia, we have one day of the year where a major clean up campaign is held and is enjoyed by people who make a day of it. So families get involved with cleaning up rivers, beaches and bush etc.

I love Malta and feel very proud of my Maltese heritage. I am writing this letter because I want to see Malta looked after by its people. After all, it is a little gem, rich in an amazing history and unique culture. I absolutely love the landscape of Malta and just wish the Maltese felt the same.