A perception survey is being carried out of opportunities and constraints in landscape restoration on three different sites in Gozo.

The operational programme (OP) Italia-Malta 2007-2013 is a transboundary co-operational programme part-financed by the European Union (ERDF). Under this OP, The SIMBIOTIC project was approved under Prioirity Axis II “Environment, Energy and Risk prevention.”

The project started in April 2011 and will be completed in April 2013. Four partners are collaborating in this project, the lead partner; Institute of Earth Systems – University of Malta, the Minsitry for Gozo under the Eco-Gozo initiative, the Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences – University of Catania and the Local Council of Pachino.

Sicily and the Maltese Islands form a critical link for the ecological connectivity of numerous species including birds, of the central Mediterranean migratory route between Europe and Africa.

However, human pressure mostly through intensive agriculture and urbanization has resulted in the degradation of the cross-border corridor area leading to habitat fragmentation and decline in its ecological value.

In this respect the aim of this project is to enhance the ecological integrity, connectivity and management effectiveness of protected area landscapes in this Syracuse-Gozo cross border area.

In Sicily, ecological resotration will take place in Pantano Ponterio, a privately-owned coastal wetland forming part of a series of wetlands located in the SE of the Italian Island. This Pantano was officially designated for protection as a Special Area for Conservation and a Special Protection Area under the EC Habitats and Birds Directive, forming part of the Natura 2000 Network yet is heavily degraded and encroached due to illegal dumping and building of illegal houses.

In Gozo, three government-owned pilot sites where identified for ecological restoration. One is located in the Minsitry for Gozo’s Government Experimental Farm (soon to be designated as the Centre for Innovation in Rural Sciences and Environmental Management) in Xewkija. The second site is Ta’ Lambert, Xewkija and the third site is at Ta’ Tocc and it-Taksis, located on the NE coast, limits of Nadur.

All of these sites have been modified by humans in the recent past, mostly for agricultural purposes and now are abandoned.

Restoration interventions will be designed based on an assessment of local plant, animal and habitat components and an analysis of landscape changes to re-produce various habitats for local fauna including birds and with the aim to enhance the ecological connectivity within the Island.

These restored sites will be accessible to the local public for both recreational and educative purposes and hence local participation is vital for the final success of the project. Stakeholder meetings, stakeholder workshop and site visits will be organised throughout the project in order to actively involve the local populations and enhance education in regards to our local environment.

In this respect the Simbiotic project is kindly proposing the following short anonymous questionnaire written in both English and Maltese, that can be completed online and that would help to identify the different perceptions from local residents which in turn would be a key component in the decision making stages of the project.

Simbiotic said that whilst awaiting a positive feedback it thanks everyone for their interest and co- operation.

Photograph by Alain Salvary.

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