Nature Trust – FEE Malta – Gozo Section said that a flare was fired “horizontally from a boat anchored at Ramla Bay. Gozo, during last night in the direction of the turtle nest area of the beach.”

The volunteers said that the flare had “just missed the Nature Trust Gozo Section and Ministry for Gozo Security that were monitoring the three nests.”

The incident was immediately reported to the Police and ERA who came shortly to the site.

The Gozo volunteers said that the flare ended in the protected sand dunes of the Ramla Natura 2000 site, causing a fire in the dunes with the risk of the sand dunes being destroyed.The volunteers reported that the flare “had barely missed the group on the beach, gazebos and nests causing alarm.”

NTM stressed that “besides it being illegal to fire a flare unless in need of help as Mayday SOS, the direction for flares is usually at an angle towards the vertical and not horizontal.”

There is also currently an Environmental Conservation Order covering the bay and beach because of three loggerhead turtle nests of which one is actually in the third hatching night right now, NTM said.

Nature Trust – FEE Malta – Gozo Section said that it hopes those responsible are identified.

Photos: NTM Gozo volunteers

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