Beaches are not only places of relaxation but ecologically important coastal areas. Carolina Pontt Poppa from the Gaia Foundation tells Stephanie Fsadni that, besides enjoying the beach, we should act responsibly to preserve the natural habitat.

Thousands of people flock to the picturesque Għajn Tuffieħa Bay in summer, especially during weekends. Many will admire the scenery but few may realise that this place is not only perfect for sunbathing and swimming, but that it is, above all, ecologically important.

“The area has different habitats... there’s the sea, sand, clay slopes and soil, besides the flora and fauna,” explains Carolina Pontt Poppa, Gaia Foundation project coordinator and manager of the Għajn Tuffieħa site. “You have a concentration of all these elements in a very small area, making it very important from an ecological point of view.”

Għajn Tuffieħa, including the rock formation known as Il-Qarraba, the connecting isthmus and Il-Ħotba l-Bajda ridge, is a Natura 2000 protected zone.

The NGO aims to ensure the sustainability of all activities taking place in this idyllic coastal zone and is currently putting in a lot of effort to recover the natural habitat.

“The area has been degraded over the years. Acacia trees, which are an alien species, were planted extensively and took over indigenous plants, which are thus not getting enough nutrients and water,” says Carolina.

These trees are difficult to remove completely because they have deep roots. So the NGO is trying to replace them with esparto grass, or ħalfa in Maltese, which it grows in its own nursery. This plant has a strong system of roots which can help reduce the erosion of clay slopes.

Turtles are eating too much plastic instead of jellyfish

“It’s a gradual and slow process. The roots of the acacia are too deep to dig out so we continuously cut their trunks and growing shoots, and plant native plants in the area. We are trying to grow esparto grass on the slopes, in the hope it will take over the acacia.”

Visitors to the site are, however, hampering the efforts of the NGO, when they walk outside the designated paths on the clay slopes.

A Gaia Foundation member cutting an acacia tree and (right) the same area afterwards, with esparto grass (ħalfa).

Need to keep sites tidy

“They step on the plants and on the dry clay which erodes easily. Some also remove vegetation and make open fires, which may be dangerous even if controlled as they damage the roots of the plants and burn the soil.”

Another problem is that, at night, especially during the summer season, people often relieve themselves among the trees. In the long run, urine destroys the plants besides making the area smell foul, while the accumulation of toilet paper is an eyesore.

Carolina says that all this occurs much less during the day since bathers often use the restrooms of the restaurant at the bay or the sea.

Individuals are also not sticking to guidelines provided by the foundation upon applying for a permit for organised activities. In the case of barbecues, these include staying at least five metres away from the vegetation and using a proper barbecue set. A common practice is to use sand to cool down the BBQ set. By doing this, one does not only remove sand from the beach, but also soils it with charcoal.

The foundation appoints rangers to monitor large beach activities and does spot checks but since it has limited resources, it cannot keep tabs on all activities all the time.

A lot of resources are spent in fixing problems which need not exist

Wildlife is also harmed when waste is not disposed of properly. Small reptiles often get trapped in opened cans and bottles, cut themselves and die. Waste can also end up in the sea, where fish and turtles may eat broken-down plastic.

“Turtles are eating too much plastic instead of jellyfish,” laments Carolina.

Too much noise may also keep birds away.

Day trippers also leave a lot of rubbish behind, especially drink containers. Cigarette butts are a big problem, as the nicotine may dissolve in the sand and contaminate the area, apart from the cigarette butts being left in the sand.

An ocellated skink (xaħmet l-art), a protected species, trapped in an open can left on the beach.

Workers from the cleansing department at the Ministry for Transport and Infrastructure descend on the beach on a daily basis, but, according to Carolina, it is still not enough since the waste is spread out over the whole area.

“It’s a very tiring and hard job to remove all the waste,” says Carolina, who often goes down to the beach herself, together with colleagues and volunteers, to tidy up the beach.

Gaia Foundation also manages Ramla Bay in Gozo, another very popular beach, and which like Għajn Tuffieħa has been awarded the Blue Flag status for the third year running, thanks also to support from the Malta Tourism Authority that provides lifeguard operations, among others services. Here one finds a system of sand dunes covered with plants that help hold together the dunes. If people step on these plants, they won’t grow and the sand dunes can be blown away.

“A lot of resources are spent in fixing problems which need not exist. People should take the initiative to be responsible themselves, be they in Mellieħa, Golden Bay, Ġnejna or anywhere else.

“And we cannot point fingers, it’s all of us who are responsible.”

• Gaia Foundation organises many activities all year round to raise funds for the management of Għajn Tuffieħa and Ramla Bay. These include guided visits, school visits and olive oil tastings. It also leases its premises at the Elysium nursery for private functions. In summer, it is organising a Cine Cafe, where visitors can watch films while enjoying nibbles and drinks for a minimal fee. For more information, visit www.projectgaia.org or the Gaia Foundation Facebook page, send an e-mail to admin@projectgaia.org or call 2158 4474.