The environment NGOs Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Friends of the Earth Malta, NatureTrust Malta and Ramblers’ Association of Malta are pleased to note that MEPA reform is picking up momentum; the MEPA Reform Act has now become law and the Environment Protection Department is being strengthened by an additional 45 staff members. Moreover an Environment Policy for the Maltese Islands is being drawn up to address Malta’s environmental concerns by bringing the policies and actions of all Government ministries in line with the proposals of the environment document. If it actually comes about, this would be a welcome change from...
Armier and White Rocks
The Prime Minister was recently criticized for stating that government was not spending a penny in return for a state-of-the-art sports complex at White Rocks, Pembroke, for, as many pointed out, the public land being offered to the developers is worth millions of Euros. In addition to monitoring this project due to its proximity to a special area of conservation, the environment groups Ramblers’ Association, Friends of the Earth Malta, Flimkien ghal Ambjent A?jar and NatureTrust (Malta) voice their concern at the opaque processing so far and agree that the value of such land is in fact worth millions. It...
European Commission proposals to ban GM crops: an empty and dangerous deal
New plans could open Europe’s fields to GM crops New proposals due to be introduced in the coming days that are supposed to allow European countries more autonomy over the decision to ban genetically modified (GM) crops form an empty and potentially dangerous deal for member states, according to Friends of the Earth. A new legal analysis of the proposals concluded that they were deeply flawed, legally and politically. Member states are being offered no additional powers to ban GM crops on health, environment and contamination impacts, despite these being the most serious and legally reliable grounds. Instead, only additional...
NGO Reaction To Hondoq Ir-Rummien Project
The environment and heritage NGOs Archaeological Society Malta, Flimkien g?al Ambjent A?jar, Friends of the Earth Malta, GAIA Foundation, Moviment ?arsien ?ondoq and Ramblers Association maintain that the credibility of the Eco-Gozo campaign hangs in the balance as the Qala Creek project to build a hotel, approximately 250 residences and a yacht marina in the Hondoq hillside is assessed. The approved Gozo and Comino Local Plan proposes the Hondoq ir-Rummien area as a Site of Ecological Importance, a Site of Scientific importance for its geology, an Area of Ecological Importance and as a Category ‘A’ valley. It is moreover a...
Delimara Power Station Threat to Public Health
The environment NGOs, Friends of the Earth Malta, Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Nature Trust (Malta), Ramblers Association Malta, Gaia Foundation and Sahhambjent are greatly concerned by the major public health issues involved in the emissions of the proposed Delimara Power Station extension to be run on heavy fuel oil. This technology demands that there be strict monitoring of the operation of the pollution control equipment requiring the added complication and major expense of disposing of the hazardous waste. This prospect is even more alarming given the Auditor General’s revelation that the decision to go ahead with this project was taken...
Seven Environmental NGOs call on the Government and the Opposition to unite on the Hunting issue
The Environment NGOs Din L-Art Helwa, Flimkien g©¤al Ambjent A©¤jar, Friends of the Earth Malta, Gaia Foundation, Malta Organic Agriculture Movement, Nature Trust (Malta) and Ramblers Association Malta express their deep concern on the issues related to the opening of Spring Hunting in the Maltese Islands by the local authorities and the behaviour of some hunters in our countryside. The NGOs have noted that well before the season was opened, some irresponsible hunters had already been noted shooting at birds. At the same time the NGOs also note that while condemning some incidents the Hunters Federation continues to defend the...
Environment NGOs Condemn Government’s Decision on Spring Hunting
The NGOs Din L-Art Helwa, Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Friends of the Earth Malta, Malta Organic Agriculture Movement, Nature Trust (Malta) and Ramblers’ Association Malta support BirdLife Malta in condemning the government’s decision to open another spring hunting season despite the European Court of Justice ruling of last September which concluded that Malta did not observe the stringent conditions attendant on the derogation it had negotiated, therefore its season openings were illegal. The NGOs criticised the government and the hunting lobby for trying to give the impression that the Ornis Committee’s recommendation to the government for the opening of the...
Five Environmental NGos welcome MEPA Decision re Dwejra
The environmental NGOs – BirdLife Malta, Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Friends of the Earth Malta, Nature Trust (Malta)and Ramblers Association Malta welcome the decision by the MEPA Board not to sanction the illegally built boathouses at the Dwejra Inland Sea. The NGOs ‘ view this as an encouraging sign and hope that MEPA will now live up to the promised reform – that of a giving a higher priority to environmental concerns and issues as well as brining about a change in attitudes. This outcome confirms what the NGOs have been maintaining that MEPA’s decisions should be based on regulations,...
Sanctioning of Dwejra boathouse abuse
The environment NGOs BirdLife Malta, Friends of the Earth Malta, Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Gaia, NatureTrust and Ramblers Association of Malta express their concern that on Thursday April 8, Mepa will consider 16 applications for the sanctioning of works at the boathouse area of Dwejra, Gozo. A request for sanctioning means that structures, which have already been built, are in breach of Mepa regulations. In February 2008, environment NGOs had strenuously opposed the approval of some twenty applications to sanction abusive structures and accretions at Dwejra. MEPA approved these on the pretext that it would allow implementation of the Dwejra...
End of the Line
Thursday night’s screening at the Saint James Cavalier Valletta of the global fishing film, “End of the Line”, went down with quite a storm. Government officials, including the Minister of the Environment, Honourable George Pullicino; NGO representatives, fishing industry representatives and the public were in attendance, and so were Charles Clover (the lead actor in the movie), Rashid Sumaila of the University of BC and Craig Dahlgren of the Perry Insitute, both contributors to the film. Malta was exemplified as being one of the key countries involved in the unsustainable fattening farms of wild caught tuna in the Mediterranean, where...