Kindness outweighs cruelty

Today’s news about a dog found buried alive in Birżebbuġa by the Animal Welfare Department following an anonymous tip-off is shocking. They heard the sounds of a dog whining coming from beneath a plank of wood held down by a tree trunk and found that the dog’s front and hind legs had been tied before being buried in the soil.

Veterinary officials found that the dog had also been shot.

An appalling act on an innocent animal that has now been operated upon at the St Francis Centre in Ta’ Qali. I hope that whoever did this is caught and taken to court. The penalty for animal cruelty in Malta is up to one year imprisonment.

This terrible story led me to reflect on two positive aspects. Firstly, the dedication of the Animal Welfare Department’s staff is extremely encouraging. Such stories remind me what a wise decision it was to set up this department.

The resistance we faced did not discourage us and I am proud to say we built this department from scratch.

The department is made up of 15 team members who carry out their work with enthusiasm and dedication: a coordinator, two clerks, four animal carers and eight animal welfare officers. They regard their work as a vocation rather than a source of income. We have continued to invest in the necessary equipment to provide a 24-hour animal ambulance service, including a two-way radio system, dart guns to sedate animals, stretchers, harnesses, cages and carriers and digital cameras.

Secondly, numerous offers to adopt this dog were received as soon as this news was reported. Such acts of kindness by the public outweigh cruel acts and provide satisfaction for both the Animal Welfare Department’s staff and the hundreds of volunteers who contribute to the work of animal welfare NGOs in our country – May 19.

Extensive works at Saluting Battery

One of the most strategic aspects of the extensive system of bastions that surrounds Valletta is the St Peter and St Paul Bastions or, as it is better known, Upper Barrakka. This dominates the stretch of the Grand Harbour and provides a unique and breathtaking view.

The Knights recognised both the defence and recreational value of this elevated position. In fact, according to Stephen Spiteri, the Knights, in 1661, converted part of the bastion into a veranda and private garden. The lower part of the bastion, which was terraced, continued to serve as a platform armed with cannon in defence of the port and were often used to salute the galleys and vessels that entered the harbour. The battery came into its own as a “saluting battery”, however, under the British. Many of the photos taken in the 19th century onwards show a row of different cannon placed upon the platform.

Below this, we find the Lascaris War Rooms, which the government has passed on to Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna. Over the years, this would become flooded every time it rained. My ministry invested substantial resources to rehabilitate the Saluting Battery. Materials were removed, waterproofing and drainage systems were installed and new paving with heavy slabs was laid.

One should note that only a small area still contained the original slabs. These were individually removed, numbered, cleaned and relaid. This was no easy task because the slabs are of a considerable size and thickness.

This project cost up to €150,000, excluding the salaries of the Works Department’s staff. This work is almost complete and will complement the extensive restorations my ministry is carrying out on the majestic bastions surrounding Valletta.

The Saluting Battery will be armed once again with authentic cannon by Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna and will serve as a main tourist attraction in our capital city. This is another example of the works being carried out by the government together with voluntary organisations to provide greater knowledge about our country’s heritage – May 18.

Pippa’s Festa

“I shop at the Farmer’s Market,” Pippa Mattei, one of the fiercest promoters of local cuisine and products, told me when I met her recently. When interviewed on American television and asked what makes Maltese cuisine special, she replied: “Fish and vegetables are caught or picked on the same day they end up in our kitchen ... allowing us to enjoy fresh and delicious products.”

Last month, Pippa went to Paris where she received the first prize in the entertainment category of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards for her second book, Pippa’s Festa, published by Miranda Books. It was both an honour for her and for Malta’s cuisine.

Her first book was published around eight years ago. This time it was easier, writing it directly on her computer rather than by hand. For her first book, she also collected recipes from women involved in the Round Table.

Since then, she hasn’t stopped, collecting recipes from aunts, grandparents and friends. In the meantime, she has transformed her kitchen into a live laboratory experimenting and testing new recipes. She also gives cooking lessons to classes of 10 in her kitchen.

Pippa Mattei, together with Matty Cremona, Gloria Mizzi, Anton B. Dougall and so many others, have succeeded in generating a new appreciation for Maltese cuisine, which, until a few years ago, was barely mentioned. They did this through publications and programmes on the media. I would therefore like to extend my gratitude to them and to the many ITS students who are recognising the value of our local cuisine.

Maltese dishes deserve greater prominence in local hotels and restaurants. As Pippa stated recently, “not only Maltese, but also foreigners enjoy trying our islands’ typical dishes” – May 15.

Health and safety training for our fishermen

During the past month, more than 950 fishermen received training on health and safety in the workplace. This course took place in the International Safety Training Centre in Ħal Far thanks to the investment of about €230,000, co-financed through 75 per cent of EU funds and 25 per cent from national funds. The training took place according to the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping compiled by the International Maritime Organisation.

The fishermen were not only given theoretical but also practical training such as survival assimilation training in the event that they end up in the water, first aid and firefighting.

One of the worst moments in my political career was when I attended the funeral for the three persons who lost their lives in the Simshar tragedy.

The organisers of this course explained that when training began, a number of fishermen were sceptical about its necessity. It is an attitude often reflected by most of us, assuming we already knew all there is to know. Yet, after a while, many of these same fishermen realised its utility and participated actively in the 17 sessions that made up this course. One of the fishermen I spoke to explained how he found particularly useful the special training session held in a smoke chamber to simulate a situation of fire inside an engine room.

Obviously, one must be all the more vigilant when completely cut off out at sea, where help doesn’t always arrive in a timely manner.

In the meantime, we are planning to organise a more advanced training course for fishermen in the coming months. I would like to praise the representatives of the fishermen’s cooperative who recognised the need for and supported this training course – May 11.

http://georgepullicino.blogspot.com

The author is Minister of Resources and Rural Affairs.