Heavy machinery was recently used to clean up seaweed at Qbajjar Bay, in Gozo, a Natura 2000 site.
Bulldozers and trucks were deployed to the bay in Żebbuġ last week to clear up seaweed that had been washed onto the shore.
“It wasn’t just the seaweed that was picked up but pebbles and sand too. We cannot keep doing this,” environmentalist Alan Deidun told this newspaper yesterday, adding that while the issue had been brought up only recently there seemed to be no end in sight to this practice. Pebbles and small stones serve to protect the sand from erosion
This newspaper reported earlier this month that trucks were seen digging up washed-up seaweed at Għajn Tuffieħa Bay. Prof. Deidun said irreversible damage was caused to the sand dunes in the process.
He reiterated calls for such jobs to be carried out manually, even if, admittedly, it was an arduous task that would take longer than if heavy machinery were used.
“Cleaning the beaches manually isn’t an easy thing to do but it definitely beats the alternative. The long-term effects of using trucks and bulldozers are devastating,” Prof. Deidun pointed out.
He insisted that even if the process was carried out very carefully and an effort was made to ensure that only seaweed was collected, the truck’s tyres alone caused enough damage to destroy the site.
“The tyre tracks alone cause great damage, imagine the problems caused when pebbles and sand are also picked up,” Prof. Deidun said.
The Beach Cleaning Unit said this did not fall within its remit as it was the Gozo Ministry that was responsible for the cleaning of bays in Gozo.
Questions sent to the Gozo Ministry were not answered by the time of writing.
Prof. Deidun said that after years of campaigning for better beach grooming but still noticing such procedures, he had no option but to go directly to the Environment Ministry with his complaints.
“I have spoken to the Environment Minister directly, who said he is looking into the matter,” Prof. Deidun said.
Contacted about the matter, Dr Herrera confirmed this, adding that, upon being informed of the situation at Qbajjar, he instructed the Environment and Resources Authority to investigate.