According to a statement issued by MEPA ‘It is still too early to evaluate the extent of the damage caused by unscrupulous contractors at the Dwejra Natura 2000 site.’ Did the film producers approach the contractor off their own bat and come up with a plan to dump 45 lorry loads of sand on the Dwejra fossil beds? Answer no; MEPA gave them permission to do it. So the unscrupulous ones here were in the first instance MEPA, as they should never have considered the permit let alone issued it.

With regard to what action should be taken that’s easy. Whoever at MEPA was responsible for issuing this permit should be sacked. No rubbish about passing the buck to the contractors or the production company. MEPA issued the permit so they are the ones responsible. Will that actually happen? Of course not because as always happens in Malta especially with anything to do with the Government it will be brushed under the carpet, covered up and forgotten about. The contractor will probably be issued with a fine to make it look as if some action is being taken, and the payment of the fine will be more than covered by the next contract awarded to them by their friend the Minister for Gozo.

MEPA state that clean-up work is currently being undertaken by hand but fail to mention the fact as reported by the guys actually doing the clean-up that once the main bulk of rock hard sandy material has been removed they have been authorised to bring in power washers to use on the site. Rather than comment on that aspect of things can I suggest that someone consults a geologist or a marine biologist for their views on such a stupid idea.

MEPA go on to state, ‘the contractor was to blame when it substituted the light machinery it had been authorised to use to clear the top layer of sand with new machinery, simply to speed up the work, and in the process possibly damaged the sensitive area.’ So basically here we have an admission by MEPA that they authorised a contractor to use machinery on a Natura 2000 site. I mean the EU Habitats Directive doesn’t mean that much to MEPA does it? You are not even allowed to drive a car on these fossil beds yet MEPA thought it was okay to allow the use of what they term as light machinery. How can a bulldozer be classified as light machinery? How can 45 lorries laden with something passing for sand be classified as light?

Mario de Marco stated that Mepa’s auditor was investigating, or would be investigating, the situation. So basically MEPA are investigating MEPA. That makes a lot of sense doesn’t it? With regard to the timeline involved MEPA seem to be making that up as they go along. Last week it was reported by MEPA that they ordered all machinery off the site on October 25th. I first wrote about the incident complete with photographs on October 28th and the lorries and bulldozer were still being used at that time. The bulldozer and lorries were actually still being used days after this when they were once again photographed yet according to MEPA, ‘No such discrepancy as reported is apparent from the timeline provided by Mepa.’

It is high time the public were told the truth regarding this incident, an alien concept I know, but it’s the least they deserve.

James A. Tyrrell,

Northern Ireland

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