Be the first to comment!Nature Trust urges the authorities for a fast lane for MPAs
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In a recent statement Nature Trust (Malta) said that “it calls on the national authorities to move faster on the setting up of Marine Protected areas (MPAs) around the Maltese islands.”
Nature Trust said “The process of setting up MPAs around the Islands started way back in 1986 when the NGO was already lobbying for MPAs. At that time 14 sites had been identified. 25 years later, the process is still in the pipeline. Only recently have the authorities mentioned again that sites would be considered as MPAs. This was in fact the result after the European Commission asked member states to set up Marine Protected Areas Natura 2000 sites.”
NTM went on to say it “feels that various sites around our islands have great potential. Setting up Marine protected areas help nature protection and marine ecology, biodiversity, economy through diving tourism and fisheries since MPAS are instrumental in breeding of species and therefore overspill outside the actual protected sites.”
NTM said it “seems that the authorities are still moving very slow and to date although we have sites like Rdum il Majjiesa, Filfla and recently Dwejra, law enforcement is still very poor. In sites like Dwejra and other potential sites like Cirkewwa harpoon fishing is still noted when harpoon fishing is illegal. Small nets (Pariti) can also be spotted around such sites.”
The NGO concluded by saying “that it is time to move from reports and studies to action. Nature protection and enforcement should be stepped up. NTM feels that Biodiversity is still a low priority on the agenda of the national authorities. While Malta has excellent legislation, it is useless if this is on paper only. Despite protection, fauna is still caught like frogs etc during the winter months, fishing with harpoons and nets (Pariti) is still observed. Studies and reports will help to gain more scientific knowledge for conservation programmes but unless short term action is taken, we will have nothing to protect in the coming years.”
