Every country in the world perceives in its collective memory certain areas that should be treated as natural treasures; and it is the responsibility of conservation organisations to campaign on behalf of these special places. The endangered Baħrija area with its environs that include Fomm ir-Riħ, Ras ir-Raheb, Wied Rini, Imtaħleb, Kunċizzjoni, Landrijiet, il-Fiddien , il-Qlejgħa tal-Baħrija and beyond is undoubtedly a place at risk which we must save at any cost. This remote location on the north-west coast of Malta is rightly considered as "the showcase of Malta's flora and fauna", encapsulating areas of great scenic beauty, unique geological features and extensive archaeological remains.

Synonymous with pastoral scenes alternating with frightening sheer cliffs and rugged wilderness, the Baħrija zone, at present under a relentless siege from speculators, developers and pseudo-farmers, cannot be classified simply and exclusively as a ramblers' paradise; in the Maltese psyche it is a state of mind, a world apart, an ideal location for the "feel-good factor" or perhaps the "feel-fantastic factor" rightly depicted as an environment to soothe the mind and the spirit. No wonder that the renowned English painter Edward Lear during his visits to Malta in the mid-1800s was impressed by Fomm ir-Riħ in the Baħrija area and painted it for posterity.

Given such an idyllic setting it is hardly surprising that environmentalists, both local and foreign, are extremely alarmed at the disturbance recently caused in the pristine Baħrija Valley with the excavation of a huge area for the building of a farmhouse outside development zone in an area of high landscape value and home of the indigenous qabru, Malta's freshwater crab. Where have all the qwabar gone ? With a professional staff running into hundreds as well as the benefit of private consultants, Mepa can easily provide us with an answer why such an outrageous development has been sanctioned in spite of repeated refusals by Mepa's technical officers. I have to reiterate ad nauseam that the trouble with Mepa lies in its purported anonymity rendering it faceless, soulless and insensitive to the stated objectives of green NGOs, namely the preservation and conservation of the countryside and coastal zones. It is well to remember that in the inglorious past when people heading the defunct Planning Authority were easily identified, we could safely pin the blame on these transgressors, and their sins will forever stain their memory. Unlike Tom Dooley they did not always hang their heads in shame but metaphorically we did hang the albatross around their necks. As things stand, whom will posterity blame for the sins regarding the environment? MEPA looks invincible; resilient enough to take all knocks, capable of ignoring environmentalists, moralists, sociologists, historians, archaeologists ... its survival powers are limitless.

Furthermore, like any family treasure, only as a last resort, only when other measures have been exhausted, should we dare siphon away even a minute fragment of this rough diamond. Harnessing the powers of the universe, like the sun, the wind and the waves, is a highly commendable proposition, but have our planners embarked on a comprehensive integrated plan regarding these other sources of energy? Have we considered the feasibility or otherwise of erecting wind farms on reclaimed land from the sea? Has there been an in-depth study concerning the possible uses of nuclear energy from nearby Sicily? Yes, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, but many believe that the visual impact of wind farms is detrimental to the rural environment and only as a last resort should the "uglification" of Baħrija be considered. Environmentalists have often been falsely accused of embarking on futile efforts to hold back the clock in order to preserve some "romantic idealised version of a pristine natural world" or halting progress because of a worthless stone crab. Nothing is further from the truth. I firmly believe that Baħrija and its environs are a natural gem that belongs to the whole nation and it is incumbent on all of us to preserve it for future generations as part of our patrimony.