It was a dare that almost cost a soldier’s life. However, his decision to consume a beetle while being filmed doing so served to highlight the urgent need for action: more public awareness on wild species of plants and animals and more concern by public entities to prevent and be in a position to address such unfortunate mishandlings.
One has to accept the fact that plants and animals have evolved mechanisms to ensure the survival of their species, no matter how much man fails to understand them or how much we disagree with them. Many mechanisms are adopted, for self-defence and for catching prey, ranging from simple warning or camouflage coloration to the sophisticated poisonous concoctions. Despite the hostile world they live in, animals and plants are daily contributors to the ecosystem: keeping populations of species in check, pollinating flowers ensuring fruiting, clearing and recycling waste and dung. In short, they make an indispensable, irreplaceable contribution to the ecological system of which we form part.
The Maltese people do not seem to possess a very sound understanding of plants and animals. The beetle incident can contribute to reinforce such view. Backed by the lack of knowledge on wild species, confrontation with them can be short and swift with a fear-driven end of story. This is where the educational aspect, both formal and non-formal, can help. This void is badly felt and explanatory measures are urgently needed.
The scenario is unfortunately not helped at all by the free movement of goods through the 27 EU member states, which was quickly capitalised by the pet and garden trade. Today, there are no commercial borders, so one can easily walk through geographical borders carrying any sort of wild species requiring very little paperwork if any. Exotic plants and animals are adding to the presence of local populations, irrespective of whether they are poisonous, harmful or dangerous to human health or to indigenous species. This does not, however, prevent any member state from legislating, controlling and monitoring the “possession” of such species in its territory, if it is willing to do so.
Poisonous animals that can be fatal to human life, especially if the related antidote is not available immediately, are also being traded. It would not be fair to criticise the minister responsible for public health, for example, if there is no antidote available when the ministry is not even aware such a poisonous species is present on the island.
Because of today’s sophisticated means of transport, species can also be imported or transported unintentionally. They can literally hitch a ride with merchandise, which has seen reptiles, spiders, insects and also plants crossing from country to country. These can even establish themselves on the island and only time will show their impact on lives in their new home. This does not help to alleviate the matter either.
Besides the ministry responsible for public health, there are other ministries that carry other responsibilities. Phytosanitary and veterinary health rules administered by the ministry responsible for agriculture are aimed to ensure the safety of plant and animal health in its widest sense. The ministry responsible for the environment has the obligation to ensure that foreign species, whether imported legally or not, do not establish home in Maltese territory.
Working in isolation will never solve the problem. Working in unison can prevent many lives from dropping into the rotten mouth of death.