Nature Trust (Malta) appealed to the authorities "to take responsible decisions regarding the Dwejra Natura 2000 site, in particular the Azure Window, an icon for the Island of Gozo."

It further called on the Environment Resource Authority to take responsible steps to safeguard all the site.

NTM said that in 2010 it resigned as managers of the site, because as at that time, "economic interests were being put before the environmental and ecological interests of the site by the government and the authorities."

NTM said that it had also informed the European Union, "it could not keep managing the site as the Management Board at that time was not observing the main objective for which the Dwejra Life project had been granted Funds, i.e. that of conservation."

NTM added that according to a report in some media on Sunday, "it now seems that the focus is again going to be more economic and tourists are to be allowed to keep walking on the Azure Window."

"The iconic structure has over the years lost a lot of its strength. Heavy cracks were already visible at the start of the project in 2004. Being a natural structure, erosion would in the end win and the Azure window would eventually become a simple stack," the NGO said.

"NTM had at that time proposed that measures be put in place to slow down erosion one of which was actually stopping movement on this geological feature."

The NGO pointed out that recent seismic activity in the areas surrounding the Maltese Islands also pose a concern to this already fragile structure.

NTM said that if the tourism industry still wants to enjoy the Azure Window "a no-go zone should be recommended rather than be short sited and keep encouraging tourists to be allowed to walk on it – this will only lead to a shorter lifespan of the window itself."

Furthermore, the NGO added, there is a human risk that further erosion can even pose a danger to persons on top and could lead to a tragedy both for those on top and those underneath.

NTM said that it strongly appealed once again that "environmental interests should outweigh economic ones on such a site."

"Some time go NTM had even tried to get the nine surrounding quarries to be rehabilitated in order to try and get Dwejra into the World Heritage Site list. Of course these calls had fallen on deaf ears," said the NGO.

"A sustainability proposal was also never taken on board by the then Management Board."

Earlier this month MEP Roberta Metsola said that "more needs to be done" to safeguard the Azure Window, in particular to stop people walking across the top of one of the most popular attractions on the Maltese islands. "A few signposts are simply not enough."

The MEP, said that, "despite the dangers to visitors, divers and the iconic window itself, hundreds of people are still walking on top of Gozo's Azure Window in Dwejra."

She added that, "if sufficient resources are not allocated to adequately control the site, the risk of accelerating nature's damage and the risk to people in the area will only increase."

"We will keep up the pressure for action to be taken in order to do what we can to safeguard one of Malta and Gozo's most beautiful sites for as long as possible," said MEP Metsola.

"It is not only about the Azure Window. We all have a part to play to raise awareness about the need to protect our natural heritage across the nation."

Photograph by Alain Salvary

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