The Infrastructure Ministry has accused Birdlife of a “surprisingly hostile attempt at shooting the messenger” in its criticism of the proposed Ghadira road project.
In a statement earlier today BirdLife had slammed Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt for presenting a document commissioned by Seabank Hotel owner Silvio Debono years ago, as evidence to prove “his allegation that the existing road is causing the erosion of the Ghadira beach”.
BirdLife said that during a three-hour meeting yesterday between government officials and representatives of non-governmental organisations, Adrian Mallia, one of the co-authors of the document “Mellieħa Bay Regional Environmental Assessment”, prepared in 2004, agreed that this was not a scientific survey focusing on the coastal geomorphology of the bay and that proper studies were needed.
Birdlife said that the document itself stated that “Removal of the road and the stabilising vegetation, without cognisance of the dynamics at play and if undertaken without due caution … may result in the inland migration of the sand... A careful study of dune specific dynamics is essential.”
It insisted that if there was erosion, then this needed to be proven by scientific studies before the ministry could decide whether or not whether the removal of the road was necessary. Moreover, there were other options to replenish the beach without the need to remove the existing road.
The ministry in its reaction said that Birdlife was ignoring the message - that the existing Għadira road depleted the beach and prevented the natural migration of sand-dunes.
“Birdlife’s position is particularly surprising given that up to yesterday it had complained no studies had ever been conducted and once a study was produced it proceeded to shoot the messenger... Using the same yardstick, since Birdlife is a directly interested party, why should its statements be believed?”
The ministry said that Birdlife’s position to protect a road in place of a complete beach system and sand-dunes could not be explained on environmental grounds.
“Nor can the matter be understood to be caused by any neighbourly concern for the Bird Sanctuary in Għadira given that all proposals made by the government propose to take the existing road further away from the sanctuary reducing the disturbance that there is today.”
The ministry said it had declared unequivocally that it was willing to abandon its application if the EIA to be commissoned proved negative – was Birdlife prepared to abandon its position should the EIA prove positive, it asked.