Vandals struck again at the EU protected site at L-Aħrax tal-Mellieħa, according to BirdLife Malta.

Earlier this month, the Natura 2000 site, where the NGO has undertaken a project to protect the Yelkouan Shearwater seabird, was damaged by off-roading activities and a glass pane on the project sign was broken.

This is the third time vandalism occurred at the site in the past four years.

The garigue was damaged by motorbikes and cars driven into the green areas, Birdlife said, adding it had requested the authorities to take measures to prevent vehicles from accessing the protected area since 2007. “To date, barely any action has been taken.”

The project sign was inaugurated by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi in March 2007 but was destroyed within a week of the project launch. Then, its replacement was shattered by gunshot in June before the latest vandal attack which broke the glass.

The area hosts the largest colony of Yelkouan Shearwater, a seabird that is facing near extinction. Malta hosts an estimated 10 per cent of the world’s population of Yelkouan Shearwater and in the past four years, the project reversed the decline of these birds through a number of conservation actions by various departments and organisations.