[WATCH] Vandals get a kick out of sawing down 36 olive trees

Vandals stormed Foresta 2000 in Mellieha this weekend, cutting down 36 trees from an olive grove and leaving them on the ground.

According to BirdLife Malta, who run site, the use of electric saws indicated that the incident had been planned.

The trees were donated by Din l-Art Ħelwa and planted over eight years ago.

BirdLife Malta went on to say that the incident, which is estimated to have taken place between Friday night and Saturday morning, caused an estimated €3,600 worth of damage and follows a number of acts of vandalisms on BirdLife Malta’s Foresta 2000 Nature Reserve.

In September 2004, around 100 trees were uprooted and damaged at the 104 hectare reserve together with fencing and signs. During 2006 in three separate occasions between July and September fire and arson attempts were reported at the site which was left vandalised. In May 2007, a further 3,000 trees were cut down overnight. Most recently, in April 2010, 104 trees were damaged. The latter incident led to the conviction of three hunters, who, on appeal, were handed a fine of €12,229.35 each.

Apart from these vandalism attacks, in a separate case in April 2009 a ranger was shot and also had to be hospitalised.

BirdLife Malta said that while the act of vandalism over the weekend was “an attempt to hinder BirdLife Malta’s work,” it has in turn “ended up as an attack on society and the common good,” as it had caused substantial damage to the public site, which was of local environmental importance.