Thursday, 4th December 2008 - 11:54CET
Video: BirdLife fears negative impact from removal of existing Ghadira road
BirdLife Malta officials insisted today that the government’s plans to build a new road at Ghadira should be stopped until the government produced scientific evidence to back its claims that the project was needed in order to safeguard the beach.
The government has proposed building a new road further inland from the existing one, which will be removed. Transport Minister Austin Gatt has insisted the new road is needed to protect the beach and stop erosion.
Tolga Temuge, BirdLife executive director, accused the government of ‘scaremongering’ and said that building a new road further inland did not automatically mean that the beach would grow. Indeed, what could happen was that it would retreat inward and ruin the nature reserve.
Andre Raine, conservation manager, said it was possible that the existing Ghadira Road was serving as a form of coastal defence protecting the ecologically important habitat of Ghadira, which was below sea level.
“Transport Minister Austin Gatt is proposing the removal of the road without undertaking any research as to what impact this would have on coastal processes and whether negative effects such as inundation of these key areas could be a consequence, particularly in stormy conditions.”
The officials said they had objected to a former proposal by then minister Jesmond Mugliett because the project involved elevating the existing road and cutting through part of the nature reserve and destroying hundreds of trees at the Foresta 2000 project site.
They said that the only thing that was common between Dr Gatt’s latest proposal and that by Mr Mugliett was that it would create a breach in front of the SeaBank Hotel.
They urged the Prime Minister, whose ministerial portfolio included the environment, to intervene in the issue.
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Large numbers of waterfowl congregate in areas such as the salt marshes of Wadi El Natrun because it is an ideal habitat for such birds and not because fresh water is plentiful in Egypt. If that was the reason and they prefer fresh water, they would frequent areas where there is fresh water instead and not spend the winter in a Hyper-saline lake. There are ducks such as the Common Shelduck that actually prefers salt marshes. Can you deny that?
However you do get species of waterfowl wintering in the Ghadira Nature Reserve in small numbers and that shows that it is not a case that the habitat is not right for these birds. It is just that the size of the reserve is limited and can only support a small number of such birds. If the habitat wasn’t right, they wouldn’t even stay there but just continue to move on.
The Wadi El Natrun is indeed HYPER-SALINE. and is very popular with wildfowl. But one thing you forgot to mention is that unlike Malta, in Egypt the supply of fresh water is plentiful. This is what makes Egypt attractive to wildfowl and not the HYPER-Saline Wadi.
The Ghadira reserve can only be considered as a resting place for the few wildfowl that visit our arid islands since ducks need water to rest on throughout the day. Ducks also need fresh water to drink and Malta having very limited areas where they can do this, duck prefer to winter in countries where fresh water is plentiful,
Can you deny this??
"Brackish water does not attract waterfowl." I am sure you heard about Wadi El Natrun in Egypt. It is so popular with hunters for wildfowl...and yet Wadi El Natrun is HYPER-SALINE.
What probably irks you so much in the end is that Birdlife has had the backing of the EU for quite a while now, so they must be doing some things right. Not much to say about FKNK.
Following advice from its experts the EC took Malta to the European Court of Justice on the spring hunting issue, showing that the Commission found Malta’s arguments insufficient. Contrary to Mr. Gatt’s claims, the available scientific data shows there is an alternative to spring hunting.
Mr Gatt talks about BirdLife International’s IUCN List – there is no such thing. The red list is created by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (not BirdLife International). The IUCN Red List categorizes species based on their global distribution. In a mistake that is frequently utilised by the hunting lobby, Mr Gatt tries to consider the status of these species at a global level. However, at a European level (and Malta is in Europe), both are classified as Species of Conservation Concern.
Mr Gatt is wrong in claiming that BirdLife Malta has objected to the proposed wind farm. BirdLife Malta is supportive of renewable energy sources, as long as they are carefully considered. As with all prospective projects, BirdLife has advised the government for scientific surveys to be carried out before considering this proposal.
Maybe now you should put forward a proposal to take the word 'conservation' out of the name FKNK. After all its just a waste of ink without the sentiment behind it.
Logic and common sense do not form part of their agenda. On the contrary they will team up, invent and contort facts in order to stop any project or activity they oppose.
The existing road at Ghadira has suddenly become a "coastal defense system" protecting the BirdLife nature reserve. What Mr. Temuge and Dr. Raine might not know is that the reserve is below sea level because original site was dug up when the reserve was being created, permanently damaging the ecosystem of the area. This is the prime reason for waterfowl not favoring the reserve as a wintering area. Brackish water does not attract waterfowl.
Their assumed threat to the Bird reserve has shown their true colours. They accuse a minister of incompetence and favoritism. Discredit the fact that the process of beach formation is nonexistent and accusing both minister Gatt and Mugliett of accommodating a hotelier in the area.
The Prime Minister whose support has been urged by these persons should indeed think twice before posing and cutting ribbons at their next activity.
Couldnt this money be better spent - or is this another way for GonziPN to raise our taxes even further?
@ Tony Caruana - If anyone had any pride in this country, then there would be no rampant development, No litter everywhere, no polluted seas (sewage is being pumped directly in to the sea where we all swim) and so-called environmentalists would not support an obviously damaging project just because thier sworn enemies are opposed to it.
So the more foreigners who are living and resident here who actually come from civilised countries and want to make a difference here the better.
And yes, I am from the UK and I know we have environmental issues there also.
Who are you to tell our government what to do ?! You can cry,lie,inflate,splash it on international news and tell big brother (EU) ! Austin Gatt is not George Pullicino !!!!!
@ Jason Sammut - 'What is wrong in building and going through a road, surrounded with trees on both sides like there are, a few paces away, in mizeb.'
Simply because it is still not 'natural'. You are destroying nature. That's just it.
But you're quite unable to see that, can you?
I thought you said you cared about our natural environment and in your comment you even criticise the attempts to further protect our breeding colony of Yelkouan Shearwaters. This species is globally threatened and we have some 10% of the global population of this species. TUT TUT TUT…who is the hypocrite now?
Do we have any pride left in this country ?
Perhaps there's a little difference....
BirdLife and REAL environmental NGOs , do not take away anything from nature but factually protect it.
You and the hunting fraternity, shoot down birds (protected or not), shower fields with lead, and effectively take over the public countryside - just so you can thrill yourselves with a kill.
Moreover, you are now, exposing more than ever, the flawed environmental credentials to claim to have, by blindly supporting a proposal that will inflict environmental devastation on a wide areas - simply because such proposal will also ruin the Ghadira Reserve.
Keep it up....
Although it is a Natura 2000 site, it does not mean that no roads could be built. Also the road is just going through the phase 3 part of the project, which means that one could easily integrate the road since not even part one of the project is ready.
What is wrong in building and going through a road, surrounded with trees on both sides like there are, a few paces away, in mizeb.
A few dozen, foreign-led activists are leading this country by the nose. It's always NO!! NO!!They objected to the proposed wind farm. They want us to switch off lights to save a tenth of a shearwater a year (scientific evidence IS available!!) They want more bans and restrictions. They object in the most unreasonable way. And they have no qualms about running off to the EU with their sob stories, AD buddies and exaggerations, inciting legal action and threatening fines.
Hypocrites, the lot of you. Enjoy the ride, guys. Austin Gatt is a very different kettle of fish to George Pullicino. See how you like it when something you care about is threatened or taken away.