BirdLife Malta today issued a position paper outlining the conservation organisation’s objections to the proposed new road in Ghadira on the basis that it that will cut through and cause the loss of habitat in an EU protected site, while removing the existing road could have potentially irreversible impacts on the Ghadira valley.

The position paper states that it is no less speculative to suggest that the removal of the existing Ghadira road may result in parts of the Ghadira valley and the nature reserve being inundated, than the Transport Minister’s claim, unsupported by any scientific studies, that the beach would enlarge.

During a press conference, BirdLife Malta Conservation Manager, biologist Dr Andre Raine said: “It is possible that the existing Ghadira road is functioning as a form of coastal defence, protecting the ecologically important habitat of Ghadira which is below sea level. Dr. Gatt is proposing the removal of the road without undertaking any research as to what impact this would have on coastal processes and whether negative effects such as inundation of these key areas could be a consequence, particularly in stormy conditions.”

BirdLife’s position paper states that since coastal geomorphology is a complex subject, detailed expert surveys over sufficient periods of time are required to understand the movement of sediments within a coastal system.

“It is by no means certain that removing the Ghadira road would result in the beach dunes being protected or increased beach area.” explained Dr. Andre Raine. “Detailed research needs to be carried out to demonstrate key concepts such as whether the removal of the existing road would result in a beach of the same size simply moving further inland. This would have irreversible impacts on other protected habitats including the nature reserve. Until such research has been conducted, we have no reason to believe Dr. Gatt’s unsupported allegations about the Ghadira beach being lost in the near future.”

BirdLife Malta accused Transport Minister Austin Gatt of creating an illusory problem without any scientific evidence that there is an imminent threat to the beach. This is an attempt to divert attention from the real issues inherent in his proposed scheme, such as the habitat destruction that the new road will cause in a Special Area of Conservation designated under EU legislation and the disturbance to the Foresta project site and the Ghadira nature reserve, BirdLife said

BirdLife Malta also stated that it was aware of only two Ten-T road project proposals in Ghadira, one in 2006 and another one in 2008, contrary to Transport Minister’s claim that there were 5 options. BirdLife explained that during a meeting at the ADT offices, the organization representatives were told that this latest proposal was the only option that the Ministry was seriously considering.

BirdLife, last year, had objected to the previous proposal which was put forward by former Minister Jesmond Mugliett based on the fact that the project involved elevating the existing road and cutting through part of the nature reserve and destroying hundreds of trees at the Foresta 2000 project site.

During the press conference, BirdLife also presented two maps comparing the latest and the previous Ten-T road proposals for Ghadira. The only thing that is in common with this latest proposal by Minister Gatt and the previous proposal by former Minister Mugliett is that Sea Bank hotel gains its own beach as a result, BirdLife said.

BirdLife Malta urged the Prime Minister, who took responsibility for the environment after the elections, to step in immediately and ensure that the EU protected area in Ghadira is safeguarded and that any road project in Ghadira is based on scientific facts and not scaremongering.

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