The minister was speaking at the presentation of the first Frank Salt Investments Limited Award, which this year went to the Gaia Foundation for their conservation work at Ghajn Tuffieha and Ramla area in Gozo.

The foundation was presented with the first prize of Lm1,000, which will be awarded on a yearly basis as from this year. The winner was chosen after being selected by an adjudicating committee that has been set up purposefully. This year’s theme centred on the protection of Maltese environment, for which 14 applications were received. Next year’s theme will focus on the promotion of Maltese culture.

Birdlife Malta placed second, for their educational programme with schools, while five boys from St Augustine’s Form 1G were place third. They were both presented with silver mementoes.

The St Augustine students conducted a research on air pollution and even designed a filter that can be attached to the car’s exhaust pipe. The device also won first prize at a recent European Science Expo.

FSI chairman Frank Salt initiated the award as a sort of commemoration of his own birthday and will be making available Lm1,000 for the first prize winner, on a yearly basis.

The minister encouraged more entrepreneurs to follow Mr Salt’s example, saying that those involved in the construction industry reap a lot of benefits from Malta’s environment but often do not give anything back.

He said that the government is doing its part, pointing out that the government makes available some Lm25,000 to NGOs working in the environment sector each year. In addition, he announced that the Malta Environment and Planning Authority was helping the sector with Lm112,000, which came from planning gain funds.