Rev. George Mercieca, Victoria
Trees all bare in Victoria
The savage and barbaric pruning of the trees that adorn and shade Independence Square (It-Tokk), in Victoria, that took place on February 2 and 3, caused havoc to the thousands of birds that after a long day’s flight couldn’t find their usual nesting places and kept cruising around like mad till they settled very late on the roofs and ventilators of the houses.
Now our main square is as bare as a newborn baby’s behind!
Is this the so-called “eco Gozo”?
Advert
Popular Stories
In Discussion
Advert
8 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Karl Consiglio
Feb 8th, 23:19
"Trees all bare"
Sounds naughty:-)
Charles Zammit
Feb 8th, 18:06
It's a lucritive business the selling of logs from our ironmongers to the hundreds of wood burning (Environment Friendly ) fireplaces all over Malta ..And where else can firewood be got ? if not under the premise that trees need pruning !! And how !!
Mr Derek Steele
Feb 7th, 21:52
The upside I suppose is that the square will be lacking in white spots at ground level!!!
every cloud and all that.........
Alfred Grech
Feb 7th, 21:20
I'm not an expert on trees, but is there the need to trim them to almost bare? Can't they trim them more moderately and leave more branches and leaves?
Steve Zammit
Feb 7th, 20:29
Thats what the Maltese do....instead of enjoying trees we prefer to chainsaw them to bare trunks
Poor birds, Spanish Sparrows and White Wagtails that must have gone back and found nothing left, as long as we have our heaters on and are all cosy in this cold weather inside...who cares !! sad
James Tyrrell
Feb 7th, 13:17
All these trees are protected by Trees and Woodlands Protection Regulations (LN12 of 2001), which requires pruning only to take place under permit by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority or the Department of Agriculture. Can the Minister for Gozo Giovanna Debono please inform the public if such a permit was obtained in this case? If the permit was obtained who made the application, for example was it the Gozo Ministry itself?
They are an important roosting site for wintering birds. Locals and tourists alike enjoy them. Every year I visit Gozo I always make my way back to the square around 5.30 p.m. to listen to the birds settling down for the night. So is this just another example of Maltese tree pruning carried out by idiots with chainsaws who have no idea what they are doing, or is it a prelude to the trees being removed completely? This is what the Gozo Ministry tried to do back in 2010 and at the time I wrote about it in the Times.
Unless I'm mistaken these old ficus trees are protected due to their age so why has the Gozo Ministry allowed this to happen? Trees seem to be a dirty word in Gozo. Remember all the trees removed on the road to San Lawrenz, Xagħra and Ta’ Pinu? There again we have to remember that the weather is extremely cold in Gozo at the moment so perhaps someone from the Ministry needed some logs for their wood burner!
vella m
Feb 7th, 10:24
Somebody in Gozo needs wood for the fireplace.Eco Gozo my left foot.
Anthony Charles Abela
Feb 7th, 15:12
You are absolutely right mr. Vella. The minister for Gozo ought to know better. Here in Australia one has to apply to the local council to have trees removed or pruned. The council then appoints an arborist to check the condition of the trees. If they think the trees need cutting or pruning then it is done by them as they are experts on trees. Poor Malta, the more it needs trees the more they are being ruined. How can Gozo tolerate the destruction of their trees. Anthony C. Ab ela Melb. Aust.