More protected trees, woodland areas and higher infringement fines with new law

A new legal notice, under which more species of trees and a great number of tree areas in Malta are protected and heftier fines are imposed, came into effect yesterday.

The new law - an update on the 2001 and 2011 tree-related laws - seeks to provide more protection to trees and comes amidst widespread criticism that the environment in being sacrificed for the sake of infrastructural development.

The law classifies 37 species of trees which are protected all across the island - an increase of nine trees over the previous laws - and which cannot be uprooted without a specific permit from the Environment and Resources Authority.

It also sets out that 53 species of trees, 24 more than under the old laws, will be protected in specific zones, called “tree protected areas”, in Malta. This applies to all such trees which are found in ODZ areas, public open spaces and green spaces, and urban conservation areas.

ERA director Michelle Piccinino said the aim of this was to offer safeguarding to trees which were not amongst the 37 trees which are given strict protection. There are now 60 tree protected areas, a doubling of the previous number under the old laws.

Piccinino said that all trees visible in aerial photos taken in 1967 or before, will also be protected if they are in ODZ and public areas, as will all historic trees and trees of the non-endemic ficus and eucalyptus species.

The infringement fines for anyone not abiding by the law have been revised under a new penalty system, with Environment Minister Jose Herrera highlighting that fines up to a maximum of €25,000 can be imposed in regards to certain rare tree species.

Criticism on environment not all fair – Environment Minister

Herrera said that in the past months lots of criticism had been levied at his ministry when it came to the trees issue, but that some of this was not merited.

“I was criticised on three fronts – firstly because infrastructural work in the country was leading to tree uprooting, secondly because it seems people did not realise afforestation was actually taking place, and thirdly because some said our laws weren’t strong enough when it came to tree protection,” he said.

“It is not true that we are doing nothing when it comes to trees – this will be a record year for tree planting in Malta. We’ve already planted 8,000 trees till now, and will plant at least another 4,000 by the end of the year, as a ministry,” he underlined, “This is a phenomenal number of trees – three times more than last year”.

“We have also managed to finish the first phase of the afforestation of Comino, with seven species of indigenous trees having been planted, and phase two set to start soon.”

He acknowledged that, when it came to infrastructure, more could have been done to coordinate better with the Transport Ministry.

“We are addressing this, and now, before any infrastructural work can start, a consultation with the ERA has to take place. Yes, we could have done more and there wasn’t enough coordination, but it’s not factual that we haven’t started taking action.”

“The majority of trees are being transplanted when infrastructural development occurs, and the Transport Ministry is also planting new trees, so we are actually not reducing the number of trees, but increasing them,” he added.