The Malta Environment and Planning Authority have announced that habitat protection has been extended to the whole of the Ta’ Cenc area.

The authority said that the Special Protection area at Ta’ Cenc has been extended to include the whole of the plateau area. Wied Moqbol and Benghajsa Point in Malta have also been declared protected areas within the Natura 2000 Network.

“With respect to provisions of the Habitats Directive, the whole area of Ta’ Cenc, including both the cliffs and the plateau, has been declared as a Special Area of Conservation in view of the various natural habitats and plant species found in the area,” the authority added.

Natura 2000 is the centrepiece of EU nature & biodiversity policy. It is an EUwide network of nature protection areas established under the 1992 Habitats Directive. The aim of the network is to assure the long-term survival of Europe’s most valuable and threatened species and habitats.

It is comprised of Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) designated by Member States under the Habitats Directive, and also incorporates Special Protection Areas (SPAs) which they designate under the 1979 Birds Directive.

Natura 2000 is not a system of strict nature reserves where all human activities are excluded. Whereas the network will certainly include nature reserves most of the land is likely to continue to be privately owned and the emphasis will be on ensuring that future management is sustainable, both ecologically and economically.

The establishment of this network of protected areas also fulfils a Community obligation under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

Permalink: Habitat protection extended to the whole of Ta’ Cenc