|
When golf courses give way to nature reserves, it is clear that a green revolution is in the air. But Nature Trust’s Vince Attard warns that the war for the environment is not yet won
Sitting calmly on a chair in the shade at the Wied Ghollieq nature reserve, Nature Trust President Vince Attard exudes confidence that environmentalists are now movers and shakers in the Maltese political landscape. The greens do not flex their muscles, but their gentle kind of power is slowly transforming the country’s agenda.
 Simply put, a semblance of greenery gives politicians the high moral ground needed to rally the political centre.
With the government taking the unprecedented step of stopping the hunting season and dropping its cherished golf course proposal in the space of a few days, the writing is on the wall: the season is now open for the green vote.
But the strength of the greens comes at a cost. Never in Maltese history was Malta’s natural environment so vulnerable to the vicious and disarming threat of environmental terrorism.
“These last few days we were more tense. When one considers that so many years’ work can be ruined in just a few minutes, one must be worried. Sometimes the damage to the environment can be irreversible.”
Attard is still visibly hurt by the devastation of 3,000 trees in Mellieha. The bulk of the vandalised trees were pine trees which take a long time to grow.
“Trees are already scarce on our island and growing them is not easy. Seeing them destroyed after three years adapting to the wild really hurts.”
While one could perhaps monitor a historical monument through CCTV, it’s virtually impossible to keep Malta’s natural sites under constant scrutiny to prevent terrorist attacks. This what makes the environment an easy target.
Part of the solution according to Attard is to embark on environmental management of nature sites. Environmental education is also important.
“Unfortunately there is a disease among the Maltese that makes them destroy what belongs to the entire nation.”
Nature Trust was the first to propose the concept of green wardens to control abuses against the environment. Is the organisation satisfied with how the system is currently implemented?
“We still do not see the system working.”
According to Attard by the word “warden” evokes a negative image of fines.
“We pushed the idea that green wardens should be there to educate. Unfortunately the very idea of calling them wardens created a negative image associated with traffic wardens who are out to give fines.”
On a positive note, Vince Attard revealed that the government has trained a number of former Dockyard workers who will be working with MEPA as environmental inspectors.
But clearly this is not enough.
Attard proposed introducing a system through which NGO reserve managers would be given executive powers to fine those causing damage to the environment. World Wildlife Fund officials are given this power in Italy.
Last Saturday, Nature Trust and Din l-Art Helwa have signed a letter of intent to manage the Xaghra l-Hamra site as a nature reserve after the government dropped plans for a golf course on the same site.
Vince Attard claims that he learned of the government’s decision to give up on the Xaghra l-Hamra golf course three weeks ago – a clear indication that the government had been planning for this announcement for some weeks.
But the proposal was originally made by environmental NGOs in 2005 as an alternative to the golf course.
“The original idea came way back when the golf course idea mushroomed. At that time Din l-Art Helwa proposed the idea of a nature heritage park in the area as a counter proposal to the golf course.”
For the past months the government was completely silent on the golf course issue.
“For me the government’s latest proposal was a surprise. I only got to know about two or three weeks ago. We agreed to participate in the Prime Minister’s press launch because it was good news.”
Another “big headache” for the NGOs involved is the funding required for managing a site five times the size of Valletta.
Speaking from past experience Attard is optimistic.
“Nature Trust has been very successful in the past in obtaining EU funding for its projects with regards to nature protection and managing sites.”
Nature Trust has already obtained funds for managing the Dwejra heritage park in Gozo, which is even larger than Xaghra l-Hamra. But what’s certain is that EU co-financing does not come free, because Malta will have to pool its share.
“Our target is to get EU funding for the project and support from the government to co-finance the project.”
How will the man in the street benefit from a natural and heritage park?
“As Nature Trust we always believe that the environment should be accessible to all. All our nature reserves are open to the public free of charge. We strongly believe that by being close to nature people appreciate more how important the environment is. The public will be given more facilities and there will be no restrictions on access. We will have additional activities like nature trails, so that one would appreciate why the area is so important.”
Attard laments that many people do not appreciate the value of garigue environment.
“Many think that Xaghra l-Hamra is a degraded landscape. People are not aware of orchids and the many endemic plants found in garigue.”
He contrasts this attitude with the interest shown by German tourists on Malta’s garigue environment.
Will hunting be allowed in the new reserve administrated by the two NGO?
Surprisingly, Attard’s answer is yes.
“Although as Nature Trust we do not agree with hunting, it is not easy to just rule out this activity. What we prefer to do is to discuss with the hunters’ associations to find a balance how to have sites which are fully protected and site where some controlled hunting and trapping activities can take place.”
Stanley Zammit – a gentlemen politician who found himself the target of hunters’ visceral hatred in the 1990s – has been appointed chairman of the management board of the Xaghra l-Hamra site. His appointment was welcomed by Nature Trust.
“I am pleased that this was not a decision imposed on us. The government asked us whether we had any objection to Zammit’s nomination. Both Nature Trust and Din l-Art Helwa were very pleased with this appointment because Stanley Zammit was a politician who put the environment before politics. He is a good man.”
By accepting the government’s offer to manage the site, is there a risk that NGOs like Nature Trust are co-opted in the establishment and thus lose their independence?
Vince Attard is categorical on this issue. “Our track record shows that we have criticised the government and even the Labour Party when their environmental credentials were in question. We have praised not just the government but also the other two parties when they made positive statements on the environment.”
Attard admits that keeping a balanced political profile is difficult in Malta.
“When we praise government they say we are pro-Nationalist. If we criticise the government they say we are pro-Labour. All we want to do is to protect the environment and give something better to future generations. And in order to do this we have to influence politicians.”
Nature Trust is very jealous of its political independence. Its statute forbids any of its board members from even being members of political parties. Nature Trust seeks to influence the agenda of all three parties without being associated with any of them.
“Right now, since elections are approaching, Nature Trust is preparing a memorandum which will be presented to three political parties. We will highlight all the problems the environment is facing and make our recommendations to all political parties.”
Lobby groups like hunters were always seen as stronger than environmentalists. Is this still the case? Vince Attard sees a big change in past few years.
“People are becoming more aware. It’s not really because people care for the flowers, the trees or the reptiles, but because they are realising that the environment has an impact on health, living standards and life style. They realise that if you destroy a valley, traffic will increase. They realise that issues such as asthma and other problems are associated with development.”
But Nature Trust have also earned a reputation as moderates in the wider environmental movement. During the anti-golf course campaign, it even kept a distance from more radical and politically-oriented voices who rallied behind the Eko-logika banner.
When it comes to politics, Nature Trust adopts the same policy as the World Wildlife Fund.
“We are willing to sit and discuss. We don’t like to take the extremist approach. If you sit and discuss there is a chance you might reach a conclusion. The Xaghra l-Hamra case is a case in point.”
Vince Attard now hopes that the rejection of Xaghra l-Hamra will be the final chapter in the golf course saga. He regards the government’s golf course obsession as a gut reaction to the crisis in the tourism sector.
“In a crisis management scenario, golf was seen as a panacea to our tourism problems. But in so doing we forgot that we have a lot of things which make us different from other countries. It is our habitats, scenery, coastline and marine environment which make us different. Why not exploit these assets instead of trying to ape other countries?” asks Attard.
Ta’Cenc was another place where a golf course was proposed. MEPA is considering an application for residential development which could pave the way for a golf course in the near future.
Attard is confident that the European Commission is closely following this issue. The issue was recently brought up during a visit in Malta by the European Commission where the issue of Nature 2000 sites was brought up.
“We are asking that the whole Ta’Cenc plateau, and not just the cliff area, are included as a Natura 2000 site because of its ecological value.”
Nature Trust is not only opposed to the golf course but also to any residential development in the area.
“We are prepared to accept some improvement to the hotels as long as there is no light pollution affecting the bird colonies in the area.”
Despite being vigilant against any charge of political bias, Vince Attard does not refrain from criticising politicians when they stray away from green political correctness.
A case in point was Alfred Sant’s criticism of the government’s decision to put an end to the spring hunting season. The leader of the opposition described the decision as unfair as it penalised hunters who did break the law for the illegal actions of others.
Nature Trust has already expressed its disagreement with Sant’s position and has signed a joint press statement with other NGOs urging the MLP to take a clear stand on hunting.
“We feel very hurt when political parties try to take advantage one on the other on environmental issues, because these are national issues. “
Attard urges political parties to unite on environmental issues like hunting, rather than making partisan calculations. He also blames the hunting organisation for bringing upon themselves the government’s decision to stop the hunting season.
“This particular decision was brought about by the shooting of kestrels. But one should not forget that in the past, when protected species were shot down, the hunting associations did not condemn this activity outright. What happened in the past days showed that the hunting associations were not even able to control their own members.”
Nature Trust now calls on the government to abolish hunting in spring.
“Now that a decision has been taken, we hope that this will be supported by all. And we do hope that spring hunting will eventually stop, not just in Malta but also in Cyprus.”
For Vince Attard, being against spring hunting is not an issue of prejudice against hunters.
“We are not here to discriminate between or against Maltese hunters. It is an environmental issue. Spring hunting is an activity which hits at birds at the time when they reproduce. That is why we are against spring hunting”
Apart from spring hunting there are other mounting issues facing the Maltese green movement. One of the threats facing the environment is the Hondoq ir-Rummien mega project.
Nature Trust is currently assessing the Hondoq ir-Rummien Environment Impact Statement as part of Nature Group: a body entrusted by MEPA to access these documents before they are made public, to give their feedback at a stage when MEPA can still ask for amendments to the report before the final document is issued for public consultation. The document is also made available to government departments and local councils.
At this stage Nature Trust is bound not to comment in public on the content of the EIS.
“Once the document becomes public, we will give our views.”
Yet Nature Trust is still very critical of mega-projects like Hondoq ir-Rummien, “Why create another mega monster, when existing hotels in Malta and Gozo are not reaching their full capacity?” asks Vince Attard.
He also notes that Malta is already under pressure from development.
“The government has already increased the development zones. We were against this. Yet despite this, we still have ODZ applications for consideration.”
When Minister George Pullicino announced the extension of boundaries, he also promised that he would change the law to stop MEPA from sanctioning illegal ODZ development. A year has passed, but Pullicino’s radical proposal is still locked at cabinet level. Attard is also disappointed that nothing yet has come out of this promise.
“When we had discussed rationalisation with the government, we were given the re-assurance that this would at least control ODZ development.”
Nature Trust is more radical in its demands. “In our opinion any application which is outside development zones should not even be considered by MEPA. Let alone legalising illegality.”
According to Attard, MEPA has created precedents which encourage people to build illegally and than ask for sanctioning.
“They should simply be made to demolish everything and bring back the environment, if this is possible, to its original state.”
Nature Trust believes that decisions to waive EIAs should not be taken by a single director in MEPA, but should be taken by a board within MEPA. But Nature Trust also wants an overhaul in MEPA’s boards.
“These boards should strike a balance between those who are pro-development and environmentalists. Unfortunately MEPA boards are currently composed of political appointees, planners and architects.”
According to Attard, the mother of Malta’s land use problems is speculation.
“We have not entered the era of sustainable development. We are still living in the era of speculation where everyone wants to build to make money out of the property market.”
He insists that it is about time the country stopped and took stock of the situation. We should establish how many people need housing in the coming years. There are already indications from studies that we have a surplus of residential buildings, some of which are still empty. So why are we going in to building more?”
Attard welcomes the new building regulations and measures forbidding developers from keeping land open for dumping. Introduced by Minister George Pullicino, Attard hails it as a step in the right direction.
But clearly, the environmental time bomb is still ticking. Environmental groups cannot show any sign of complacency despite the sudden greening of the government. |
