Olive oil maker says trees were ‘butchered’
Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi
An olive oil producer described the recent tree pruning in Rabat, which led to heavy public criticism, as “butchering”.
Referring to photos of a pruned tree in Rabat, Sam Cremona, who has about 500 olive trees of his own, said the extensive wound caused by the chainsaw cannot be treated.
A landscapist engaged by the Rabat local council to clear up broken branches and cut “sick” ones was recently involved in an incident with conservationist Foppe Seekles. The conservationist was upset at “aggressive” pruning he believed was “killing the trees”.
After the incident, the council’s contract manager immediately stopped the pruning contract and Rabat mayor Sandro Craus said the council was seeking advice on the matter.
While the conservationist insisted that this was not the right time to prune trees, the landscapist said evergreen trees can be pruned all year round and this type of pruning strengthened the trees.
But Mr Cremona believes it is unprofessional to prune olive trees out of season. The only time to prune them was in January and February, when the temperature at night fell to below 10°C for a whole week, he said.
Since this winter was colder than usual, pruning could probably have taken place until March, at the very latest, but June was way out of season because olive trees grew their fruit at this time of year.
“We’re experiencing high temperatures, so trees pruned at this time of year might die. If they don’t, they will deteriorate because they’re now vulnerable to diseases.
“Pruning out of season can trigger dormant viruses because the tree would be at its weakest,” Mr Cremona explained.
One of the most common viruses spreadable among olive trees is the contagious olive knot, which could be spread through contact and contaminated tools.
Chainsaws used to prune olive trees have to be sterilised and the wound protected from diseases with a special coating.
He added that if the branches were cut because they were ill, the tree should still have been pruned in the first three months before it sprouted fruit and all removed material should be “intelligently” disposed of not to spread the disease.
“It seems as if they did not know what they were doing. The tree should have been pruned professionally and only the sick branches should have been cut off.
“From the published photos, it appears even healthy branches were cut off,” he said.
Environmentalist Alfred Baldacchino agreed that the pruning was carried out in an unprofessional manner.
“I cannot call this pruning in any way. It seems more like official vandalism on urban trees, without any expertise or professionalism,” he said, adding it was impossible that these “pruned trees” could ever grow into “proper” olive trees and bear fruit.
Mr Baldacchino insisted that lack of appreciation and proper management of trees was common across the island.
“In the past four or five years, Malta has seen the unjustifiable destruction of established urban trees under one excuse or other, but all motivated by commercial motives.”
Mr Baldacchino also believes that importing trees does not help conserve Maltese indigenous species, especially the rare and threatened ones.
Importing living species, including trees, was regulated by regulations emanating from EU obligations and Malta had suffered greatly as a result of the lack of enforcement of such regulations, Mr Baldacchino said.
Invasive alien species such as the red palm weevil, which killed about 500 palm trees; the African long-horned beetle, that devastated the local population of mulberry trees and recently also fig trees; and the geranium bronze butterfly had a negative financial and social impact on the Maltese islands, he added.
EUCC reaction
The Coastal and Marine Union (EUCC) – of whom conservationist Foppe Seekles holds Maltese membership – distanced itself from the issue he raised.
While it commended the fact that someone wanted to defend the value of the trees, it said a dispute between a person (who accidentally happened to be an EUCC representative) and someone who was cutting branches was not in EUCC’s interest.
“(Foppe) Seekles is within his rights when he wants to defend these trees he thinks are in danger (of which the local authorities will judge whether this is the case or not) but this is and should be as a private person and not as an EUCC representative. EUCC has a neutral position in this and cannot be biased by this kind of turmoil,” it said.
EUCC also pointed out that Mr Seekles was not the organisation’s executive president but the president of its Maltese membership branch.
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Sabrina Borda
Jun 26th 2012, 07:07
We might only thank the Minister concerned who is responsible for the Environment and Rural affairs for this mess. We can only imagine he shrugged off responsibility as he handed over the works on contract to people who only claim to be experts but evidently this is butchery not anything else, not matter how many more excuses they give.
This has been going on for quite some time. One can only wonder how long he can close his eyes and continue to shrug his shoulders and feel he can walk with his head held high because he may feel he is not personally accountable for any of this mess.
This is not what a Minister for the Environment and Rural affairs ought to be like. We expect him to really love and understand nature for a good start.
Astrid Vella
Jun 26th 2012, 05:05
Now that we have heard three recognised experts in the field endorse Mr. Seekles' stand on the unsuitability of last week's tree-butchering, it would be interesting to hear from Mr. Antoine Vella whom I quote from the earlier article:
"Mr Seekles does NOT know what he's talking about. It's time that amateurs started realising their limitations and stopped being so arrogant and know-it-alls.
Ms Vella, how about following a course on arboriculture and learning all about transplanting, pruning. etc? Oh, I forgot, it's much easier to blabber incessantly than to actually study and learn things.
Olive trees are NOT pruned in winter because the cold would hinder the formation of scar tissue over the pruning wounds and would harm the plant. For olives the ideal period to prune is between March and May so, although in this particular case it's rather late in the season, it's not as big a deal as some "experts" here are claiming. It is preferable to prune them a little late rather than a little early because the important thing is to avoid low temperatures."
Maybe, Antoine, it is time that you informed yourself better after all. The same also goes Steve Demicoli who tried to undermine Mr. Seekles instead of appreciating his initiative. If only more were prepared to put themselves out and stand up and be counted like he did!
R Bartolo
Jun 25th 2012, 20:06
"Landscapist" - Painter of landscapes.
R. Cilia
Jun 25th 2012, 17:51
Amateurish works are the order of the day!
S. Camilleri
Jun 25th 2012, 17:10
So it seems, if any further proof was necessary, that Mr Seekles was right!! Our so called horticultural experts are either complete nincompoops or most likely unprofessional in that they subcontract the work to barbarians without effecting adequate supervision!
Paul Azzopardi
Jun 25th 2012, 17:07
pathetic , good for nothing . Why doesnt anyone try to teach these people how to do their job before they destroy more trees........why does it seem to be that we can't help ourselves in making things worse for our environment ?
Pamela Hansen
Jun 25th 2012, 16:03
846 people have signed the petition to stop the butchering and removal of trees from urban areas. Sign and share if you want to add your voice to telling the Maltese authorities to put a stop to it now. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/629/494/052/save-maltas-trees/
Alfred Fenech
Jun 25th 2012, 14:55
This is as far as we locals know. We butcher trees everywhere in all areas. Some say for additional
light. Others say the trees are too high. I pity the day they come to prune the ones at Msida Valley.
The authorities should be tarred and feathered. They are either stupid or insane.
Tim Pace
Jun 25th 2012, 12:44
Times of Malta take note: Olive knot is not a virus but a bacterial plant pathogen belonging to the Pseudomonas genus.
Although pruning can help control Olive knot disease, it is definately not a cure and as explained if pruning tools are not sterilized after cutting each infected branch then spreading of the disease is highly likely. Physiologically - any type of prunning of olive trees in the heat of the summer season is detrimental to the trees and should be completely avoided or kept to a minimum.
Victor Laiviera
Jun 25th 2012, 11:12
Pathetic fence-sitters.
Reinhard Azzopardi
Jun 25th 2012, 13:59
May I ask who you have addressed that comment to?
Francis Sammut
Jun 25th 2012, 11:05
Oh God, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing!
anthony sultana
Jun 25th 2012, 10:22
When someone mess up on his or her job, they should be fired on the spot, to serve to others that they are careless on their job.Trees are very inportant to human, we are animals of the the trees like the monkeys for example.
Pippo De Marco
Jun 25th 2012, 09:56
If the accompanying photo was taken at the scene, then that is not 'pruning', that is just sawing and ripping.
No wonder people were complaining.- The Council might just as well have let a vandal lose on these trees with a JCB.
Joseph Aquilina
Jun 25th 2012, 09:33
"EUCC has a neutral position in this and cannot be biased by this kind of turmoil"
EUCC has a neutral position on the destruction of trees!! How can you be neutral on such a subject!!
Please choose the reason of your report below: