Anna Spiteri, Senglea
Strategy against urban trees continues
If I had been a small sparrow returning home to my shelter on the trees in front of St John's Co-Cathedral last Saturday, I would have been shocked to discover that an earthquake or a tsunami had taken place and destroyed my home... and trying to locate other shelters in Castille or in front of the Valletta market would have given me the same results. I and many others would now be homeless and left to our fate to die. We know people here do not care about us, but we wonder whether they also do not feel the pain these trees, shorn of all dignity, feel.
Indeed I would have realised that for quite some years now, there is a consistent strategy to cut down and disfigure urban trees in most localities in Malta. The reason? Somebody, very ignorant of the significance and reverence that are due to trees, is making very short-sighted profit by selling this wood for home fireplaces.
The strange thing about all this is that in spite of numerous protests, nobody takes any action, whether it is the ELC or the Department of Agriculture that is responsible. They just continue to get away with it and this butchering goes on and on until... when? Until the island has no more urban trees left?
Since time began the tree has been recognised as a symbol of life and regeneration and is a sacred link to organic life on earth, of which we, so-called humans, form part. Harming trees is harming our vital organic fabric. In Celtic folklore the cutting down of an elder tree brings misfortune... in Malta we have cut down our last elder tree decades ago. Are we all sound asleep?
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Carmel Cilia
Mar 18th 2010, 19:28
Has anybody noticed the farce that is going on with the Palm trees. When a new palm tree withers away and dies because it has been infested with the red beetle it is immediately reported to the section at San Anton. What happens it is listed and after four months it is taken off and burned. What the man in charge (I presume the director) is not realising is the fact that at the moment it withers the dead tree is full of caterpillars ready for their metamorphises to become dangerous beetles. These trees should be taken out immediately and burned and not left them to wait for their turn.
Even in old times in a plague the freshly dead corpse were taken for burial and not left there to wait their turn.
No wonder all the palms are out for extinction in Malta. Would the minister if he is responsible at least intervence and change this practice. Otherwise we shall have a long list of dead trees to burn and leaving the culprit a free hand in its destruction. Who was he who said we have experts in Malta.
J Mizzi
Mar 18th 2010, 17:40
"U int Mulejja,
Ħlift dil-wegħda
Ħarsu lejn l-għasfur tal-bejt.
Taħsbu lilkom,
Jien se ninsa
Meta 'l dan jien qatt ma nsejt?"
(Fr. David)
povru għasfur tal-bejt ... povri aħna!
A.Sciberras
Mar 18th 2010, 17:36
What about the trees that have been savagely uprooted from Qrendi round about last Tuesday by ELC. So much for a greener Malta.
J. Zammit
Mar 18th 2010, 17:11
This photo is a visual replica of how the whole of Malta has been shorn of its natural beauty!
laurence schembri
Mar 18th 2010, 16:45
Tree surgeons...well, they`re suppose to be.
joseph lia
Mar 18th 2010, 16:12
I agree with all the bloggers comments, but to 'butcher' these trees NOW that the hot weather is upon us soon!? Isn't there any talented so-called 'tree surgeon' (sic) amongst the Agricultural fraternity who might give a thought to AT LEAST 'prune' these urban ficus (indiginous or not). Not only the house sparrow lived in these trees but countless roosting wagtails and starlings....where is Birdlife???? Oh no hunters were involved in the making of this massacre, so that's OK.
Omar Busuttil
Mar 18th 2010, 15:53
Miss Spiteri, true the trees look butchered but at least they are still alive. And hopefully they will stay alive. Now they will have new branches.
Poor the 5,000 trees in Ghajn Qasab Valley found in Nadur Gozo. Located on the way to Ramla il Hamra bay. Soon these trees will starve to die if the cemetery projects continues. Because these trees are going to be irrigated from underneath the cemetery with contaminated water. This water will contain formulide (poison liquid) which means it will be toxic and will end up killing the citrus trees.
Shame for people responsabile!
lgalea
Mar 18th 2010, 15:32
How else would wood to be sold for fireplace become available?
J Wood
Mar 18th 2010, 14:10
@ Tony Abela
MEPA oncly has a remit on protected indigenous trees only after the Department of Agriculture have given clearance for removal/ pruning. The FIcus in the photo is unfortunately not indigenous and not protected so anyone can just chop them up.
tony abela
Mar 18th 2010, 11:37
Dear Ms Anna Spiteri,
It seems that your are not aware that before anybody trims, butcher or cut a tree, he or she or they must have a clearance permit from MEPA.
Therefore, it stands to reason that MEPA is not only supporting these acts, but approving them. Blame nobody else and you may wish to adress your complain officially to MEPA and they may be very intellegent and gives at least one valid reason.
Joe Camilleri
Mar 18th 2010, 11:03
emm where are the bird lovers (BLM). It is ILLEGAL in Malta to distub the spanish sparrow especially its nest. but well, since no hunters were involved, it ok.
Mr B J Simmons
Mar 18th 2010, 10:26
OK, the trees now look awful and will never be the same again. Was it just for the view that they were butchered?
Some while ago some very smart benches were placed underneath, but these were always covered with the droppings from the few birds that remain in Malta.
Maybe this is the local council's way of making these benches useable, or perhaps justifying the misplacing of them in the first place!