Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono only came to know about the sand incident at Dwejra through the papers, she admitted yesterday.

When asked when the ministry had found out about the sand laid on the rocky area in the Natura 2000 site for on location shooting, Ms Debono said: “We found out when we saw the pictures on the paper on Sunday morning.”

“I have to make it clear we were not involved in giving out the permits for the film, which is understandable because it’s not our responsibility. However, I condemn anything illegal that happens,” the minister said.

She said that if one were to work towards the attainment of the Eco Gozo vision, one had to be more sensitive in every decision made, whether by the Gozo Ministry or any other authority. “The authorities must keep the vision of an ecological island before them when taking decisions,” she said.

Asked whether the ministry would want to be consulted about similar permits in the future, Ms Debono said that “now more than ever before, it would be a good thing if the Gozo Ministry was consulted on decisions that affect Gozo so that such decisions would be tied to the sustainable development we’re trying to achieve with the Eco Gozo vision in mind”.

She said that while the Malta Environment and Planning Authority and other authorities most of the time kept issues such as Eco Gozo in mind, “it would be a very good idea” if the ministry was consulted more.

Was she satisfied with the level of monitoring on site? Ms Debono would only say that “a lot has been written on the media on the topic”.

“As soon as I learnt about it, I felt the duty to send a message to the competent authorities,” she added.

Mepa acknowledged that the film production company had breached the condition to use an impermeable layer between the sand and the rocky surface. Contractors were also told to stop using heavy machinery to remove the material from the site.

Environmental NGOs hailed the incident as an environmental disaster, and the former assistant director at Mepa’s Environmental Protection Directorate, Alfred Baldacchino insisted the permit should have never been given considering the site in question.

After a visit to the site, geologist Peter Gatt said the material – a mixture of sand, silt, soil and clay – could adhere to the surface and remain “for a very long time” and would not necessarily be washed away.

He said the fossils on the site, which include ancient sea urchins, shells and burrows, would lose the detail they previously had if the alien material stuck to its surface.

Waves walloped the shore at Dwejra yesterday as the wind blew sea spray inland. The rocky area, which until a few days ago was characterised by a foot-high platform of hardened sand, is now level once again.

A large pool has sandy sediment at the bottom and a few metres inland other craters in the ground are filled with aggregate.

Go to timesofmalta.com to view footage of the site yesterday and of the interview with the Gozo Minister.