Ramblers mull protest walks

The Ramblers Association is considering holding protest walks to highlight the ever-increasing misappropriation of pathways and coastal zones, association president Lino Bugeja said yesterday.

He described this misappropriation of land as one of the most urgent environmental issues plaguing the Maltese islands. Speaking during the association's annual general meeting yesterday, Mr Bugeja said ramblers had long been campaigning for better accessibility to the countryside and the foreshore, but with very little success. He said hostility and harassment by presumed owners were on the increase. The association has recommended that all the 'no entry', 'private' and 'reserved' signs that have mushroomed all over the countryside and coastal zones should be accompanied by an officially-numbered permit enabling the public to check the validity of the signs.

"Our members love walks and we want their children to grow up with easy access to the joys of the Maltese countryside," he said.

During the pre-budget consultation the association reminded Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi of the recommendations outlined by the National Commission for Sustainable Development regarding measures to allow access to the coast and open paths that have been abusively closed, he recalled.

He said it was saddening that certain rubble walls were disappearing so quickly, and called for much heftier penalties and better enforcement.

Mr Bugeja said there had been a considerable increase in environmental awareness among Maltese and Gozitans in recent months. He said a recent EU survey showed that 85 per cent of the Maltese are seriously worried about the rapid loss of the countryside and coastal zone and they felt that the protection of the natural environment was a moral obligation that needed to be undertaken by everyone. "Many Maltese are saddened at this alarming rate of land loss. The time will soon come when there will be no environment for us to protect," he said.