Updated: Fireworks festival postponed

Marianna Galea Xuereb

May 6th 2009, 22:57

@Mario Micallef

Actually your tongue-in-cheek suggestion is not even a good enough precaution because – Thanks people who put business and/or their own ideas of fun and pleasure before civic duty and the common good – we will get polluted air through the ventilators too.
So apart from taking practical precautions as best I can despite all the evil/greed/selfishness around us all, I prefer to work towards more education and awareness about all health and environmental matters – even though this will render me most unpopular with certain individuals and groups who have their own agendas.

Mario Micallef

May 5th 2009, 23:11

there is only 1 thing you can do then...lock yourself inside and dont think about leaving your house cause from he first minute you go outside you are touching pollution...

Marianna Galea Xuereb

May 4th 2009, 21:27

@ Mario Micallef

Your argument that just because something is fun for some it should be tolerated is a fallacy and I trust that I have explained this very clearly by extending the same argument to actions that even you as a pyrotechnician deem outrageous and horrible.


As a licensed pyrotechnician you may be abiding by local laws all right but that does not change the fact that what you do produces health and environmental damage. The same applies to several other licensed and legal activities and products. The fact that they are or have been legally sanctioned does not automatically render them harmless/benign/healthy and as a citizen of a supposedly civilized and democratic country the least I expect is to be allowed to point out what is wrong and request relevant changes for a healthier environment.

Mario Micallef

May 4th 2009, 14:39

@ Marianna Galea Xuereb

What a laugh!! are you putting rapists, child abusers, bullies, sadists, intoxicated drivers etc in the same basket as pyrotechnicians? as far as im concerned im licenced to do it..and when i did it in the past i always abided by the law...its the typical case...inhalltu l-hass ....

Marianna Galea Xuereb

May 4th 2009, 03:14

@ pacifico galea, @Karl Camilleri and @ Mario Micallef

Through your comments you prove beyond any shadow of doubt that the comment “some people like you sorry to say they are always trying to make the world only for them and they dont care about what many other people like and want to do” applies mostly to yourself.

Incidentally I do not have fireplaces and the only swimming pools and physiotherapy pools I ever used were communal ones. And yes I do object to barbeques unless gas stoves are used.
Yes gas cooking, use of electricity and motorized transport as currently practiced in the Maltese Island– even if public/shared/communal – does cause pollution but I trust that even professional pyrotechnics can distinguish between reasonable modern needs and “traditional” indulgences.

Finally the request to “leave others to have fun” is the one I find most objectionable. By the same perverse yardstick we should also completely do away with the basic reasoning determining what is right and wrong and thus allow rapists, child abusers, bullies, sadists, intoxicated drivers etc. to do as they please in order to have fun.

Marianna Galea Xuereb

May 4th 2009, 03:08

@ Mario Micallef

“why do such people always hit again again something which is a tradition that belongs to Malta? alas I guess its a case of not knowing many facts that our fireworks are unique in the world...”

Whether or not local fireworks “are unique in the world” may be open to argument but is totally irrelevant as far as I am concerned. What definitely cannot be denied is the fact that fireworks – however spectacular they are to look at - cause very harmful air, water and noise pollution.

Finally, I must explain that one of my credos is “If a path to the better there be it begins with a full look at the worse” (a saying usually attributed to Thomas Hardy) and that involves criticizing matters that are considered by some to be “deeply embedded in our culture”.

Karl Camilleri

May 2nd 2009, 14:22

first of all, a note re. the "excuse" of the ship developing a fault. PLEASE do not be mislead:
the real reason for the delay was due to lack of planning and the MTA did no issue the necessary permits for the fireworks to enter malta harbour (since they are classified as hazardous). due to this the ship could not leave from sicily, which had been ready at port since sunday!! not only that, but when the ship actually arrived in malta on thursday at 7am it wasnt given permission to unload till 1pm, after the MTA contacted the maltese duana and port officials.
secondly, i am sorry to hear comments like that of Ms Galea Xuereb, and agreeing with my galea and mr micallef, the firework industry in malta is deep in our culture and many tourist simply come to malta for our famous firework displays, and dont show ur ignorance by stating that they are the cause of pollution, because we'd better look at the excess number of cars and maybe the gov. better start working instead of always blabbing and making promises and nothing is done.

pacifico galea

Apr 30th 2009, 19:32

Dear Marianna Galea Xuereb....I am one of the licensed pyrotechnics men on the island and i am very sorry to hear comments like yours to abolish fireworks in Malta first of all to let you know if you dont Malta won one of the best competitions held fraom all over the world and we are very happy with this result and many countrys arround the globe say that Malta has a unique stile oof fire works that we dont se anywere except here just like Mr Mario Micallef commented before. In This island there is somthing crazy going arround and some people like you sorry to say they are always trying to make the world only for them and they dont care about what many other people like and want to do. Did any pyrotech asked you not to light up your fireplace in winter causing polution or not to light up your BBQ in summer cause ur are doing polution, do not use your swimming pool cause you are wasting water and energy, don't use more then one car in your family cause you are wasting energy and polluting the air. So please leave others to have fun.

Mario Micallef

Apr 30th 2009, 10:36

@ Marianna galea Xuereb ..with your kind of arguments we should remove all cars and buses from Malta too cause they are a source of pollution too..including aircraft who bring in the much need tourists...lets get to the real problem and dont hit something which is deeply embedded in our culture...why do such people always hit again again something which is a tradition that belongs to Malta? alas I guess its a case of not knowing many facts that our fireworks are unique in the world...

Mary Ann Borg

Apr 30th 2009, 00:34

1. When were the fireworks expected to arrive anyway?
2. If the event is really postponed by 24 hrs then why didn't MTA stick to the dates by changing the format and letting off all Maltese works on the Thursday and the foreign on the Friday. The tourists ,being the main reason for this event, would not have even realised and the product would have gone out with slight changes. Postponing the event by a day is not acceptable when this is precisely the event to kick off the tourist season. It doesn't bode well and just shows how keeping with schedules in not our forte, most of the time.

Marianna Galea Xuereb

Apr 29th 2009, 22:21

Dear MTA,

Do us all a favour and postpone the Fireworks festival indefinitely and for ever. Campaign in favour of abolishing fireworks and other forms of unnecessary waste and pollution - including unnecessarily street lighting, advertising lights and decorative lights - so that you may start to market the Maltese Islands as a healthy, ecology friendly and environmentally sustainable destination. Sensible Maltese people and tourists – particularly those who suffer from respiratory problems such as asthma - will bless you for it

Fireworks are one of the greatest sources of air, water and noise pollution and the sooner they loose their popularity and “cultural value” masquerade the better. Doing away with fireworks would allow us natives as well as those who visit the Maltese Islands as tourists to enjoy healthier and quieter lives.

Pacifico Galea

Apr 29th 2009, 18:10

Dear jason Farrugia MTA is not importing any fireworks but the firworks on the ship that has some engine problem or what so ever is carrying the fireworks of the international competitors from other countries.

Pacifico Galea

Apr 29th 2009, 18:07

Something that hurts me is when people like LIAM KELLY shows when they are always agaist everything that is Malteseand I am Proud to say that i am one of the licencened people who goes at a fireworks factory im my sparetime.Fire works is something that attracts tourists from over the whole globe so its good for our island. I am getting to thing that this person is not Maltese in the first place and all he or she wants everyone like what he or she likes. So if you dont like these things don't watch and thats all but leave others to have fun.

paul portelli

Apr 29th 2009, 18:05

is it possible that by now the MTA doesn't know that the lija fireworks are the best in the world.no wonder this defisit in the pn gonzi budget

Phil Pryce

Apr 29th 2009, 16:55

I just received this email which was sent out by the MTA this morning:
I regret to inform you that the Malta International Fireworks Festival which was planned to take place in the Grand Harbour on Thursday, April 30 and Friday, May 1, has now been postponed due to mechanical faults that the ship transporting the fireworks developed. In the circumstances the foreign fireworks displays will not be arriving on time for the Festival.
Whilst we apologies for any inconvenience that this postponement may have caused, we assure you to keep you notified with the new dates of the Festival that will be published once these dates can be ascertained.
Now I'm confused. Has it been postponed by one day or indefinitely??? Can someone answer??

JASON FARRUGIA

Apr 29th 2009, 15:37

Why does MTA import foreign fireworks when tourist want to see local fireworks and
How much will they cost us?

Liam Kelly

Apr 29th 2009, 13:56

Word of advice for the MTA; in difficult economic times the first thing you should be doing is cutting out extravegant wastage of money; primarily fire works displays; Also, considering you've just had news of yet more dismal tourism figures (down a quarter) don't you think that the money put up in smoke (literally) could have been spent actually improving our tourism product itself? How about sorting out arterial roads, busses and taxi's for a start?

Sonia Zammit

Apr 29th 2009, 13:51

Sometimes I do not believe what I read ! People would have made plans to attend and as already mentioned, even the tourists who have a schedule due to time limitation of their holidays, how will the MTA respond to them. But why do these things happen? Why is nobody ever responsible for anything in this country? If I fail to do my job properly or fail to plan my work well, I risk my postion within the company I work for. Professionalism is not a word included in the Maltese vocubularity !

M. Baron

Apr 29th 2009, 13:48

if you think that this sudden 11th hour postponement is unacceptable to those who planned to attend the event, jsut image what it is to those like me who have to cater for the hundreds of attendees...this is incrediblel

Rachel Spiteri

Apr 29th 2009, 11:38

Hey.. Will the festival be held this coming weekend? Thanks

M Borg

Apr 29th 2009, 10:23

How come such things only happen in Malta? Can the MTA ask those tourists who purposely came for the festival and were due to leave on Friday to present a formal complaint and be reimbursed for their holiday? All the expenses have to be paid by the supplier of fireworks and/or the company owning/chartering the ship to transport the fireworks! That's what accountability means! When one has to deliver, he has to deliver in time....otherwise he has to pay the expenses......!! Such an action by the MTA as postponing the festival will definately be counterproductive to the main aim of the festival, ie. attracting tourism.

MTA, wake up! It's about time that we begin to think businesswise!!!!!!

Mario Micallef

Apr 29th 2009, 09:49

I totally agree with Mr Falzon...this is a celebration bound with an anniversary of a historic moment of Malta...so why is it that we need to change plans?im not totally convinced by the excuse..Im 100% that Maltese fireworks can give a better display..as things showed us in the past...

Philip B Cortis

Apr 29th 2009, 09:37

Since this Fireworks Festival is organized by the MTA, then I take it that the main aim is to attract more tourists. If a tourist came to Malta specifically for the festival and would be leaving on Saturday morning, will now have to see half of it. This is because a decision by the authority that is supposed to take care of the same tourist, and make sure that his holiday is one to remember so he encourage his friends to come to Malta. Now, this year festival has the potential to be counterproductive.

Excellent job MTA

Jason Falzon

Apr 28th 2009, 21:29

Why this country have to always please the foreigners?!! What if 1 of the Maltese fireworks factories didn't made it in time to prepare, would the MTA postpone it? This is an event that have to be celebrated on those particular days and not the following week or whenever the MTA decides!!