Environmentalist Joe Sultana, father of BirdLife Malta CEO Mark Sultana, has passed away.

He was born in 1939.

Sultana was an outspoken defender of the environment.

Born in Xaghra, he was educated at the Gozo Lyceum and St Michael's Training College.

After teaching in government schools, he was appointed managing warden at Villa Psaigon Field Study Centre in 1977, where he later became environment officer for conservation, environment manager and principal environment officer. He was also Secretary and President of the Malta Ornithological Society (1967-1975), and Chairman of the European Section of the International Council for Bird Preservation (1985-1992)

He was also a World Council Member for BirdLife International. He held various other posts throughout his life, such as having been a member of the of the steering committee for the conservation and management of the environment and natural habitats of the Council of Europe.

He published books and papers on ornithology, including ones entitled 'Malta's most common bird", and "A guide to the Birds of Malta"

Biography taken from the Dictionary of Maltese Biographies