The Plant Health Department yesterday urged the public to report any palm trees that they believe are infected with the red palm weevil.
Plant Health Department director Marika Gatt explained at a press conference, that so far, the insect was not classified as one that needed to be quarantined.
She said that following an alert at EU level by Spain in 2006, emergency measures were discussed and the Plant Health Department drew up a contingency and emergency plan to control the pest.
The first case of an infected tree arose in July in Wardija, said Ms Gatt. In November, a notification was printed in the Government Gazette banning the transportation of palms to Gozo.
Ms Gatt said that the EU has been following the course of the red palm weevil for at least two years. Even though the insect is usually found in Asia, Ms Gatt said that due to global warming, it was now also infesting Mediterranean countries.
The weevil is relatively large, between two and five centimetres long, and has a rusty red colour. Its larvae excavate holes up to a metre long in the trunk of palm trees, and can kill the host plant.
Ms Gatt explained that the insect only attacks palm trees and, locally, attacks the species Phoenix canariensis and the Phoenix dactylifera.
It is the larvae that causes all the damage to the palms when these live inside the trunk at the base of the leaves. However, to make matters worse, their presence is not usually visible until the infestation is serious.
Ms Gatt said that the majority of palm trees are imported from Egypt and Italy.
“These arrive in containers piled up on top of each other and it is virtually impossible to see if the palm trees are infested with the larvae,” she said.
The Plant Health Department is using an integrated approach to control the infestation of the red palm weevils.
“Wherever an infected tree is reported, traps are set up in the vicinity to capture the male insect,” she said.
Over 100 traps have been set up in the infected areas and the department has organised seminars and distributed information leaflets about the insect.
For more information or to report any cases of infected palm trees send an email on [email protected] or call tel. 2339-7000, 2339-7203, 2143-0248.
In a separate statement, Alternattiva Demokratika (AD) said it appreciates that finally Environment and Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino was acknowledging the fact that “...notwithstanding any number of inspections, one can manage to control the disease, but one can never reach the stage where the insect is completely destroyed”, meaning that the population of palm trees on Malta, whether private or paid from public funds, will always be in danger.
AD also noted that the Environment Ministry confirmed that a number of mature and fully-grown trees were imported for embellishment and landscaping purposes. A drive around the islands, especially along main arteries was proof enough of this.
The number of imported large palm trees, one or more of which have probably introduced the red palm weevil into Malta, planted across the island, can be seen by all. Besides, other imported species of trees can also be seen everywhere in landscaping projects on the island, some of which are also paid from public funds.
“Alternattiva Demokratika appreciates the efforts which are being undertaken by the Ministry, but we believe that all this waste of resources could have been avoided, if tree planting in Malta, whether in afforestation projects or in landscaping projects, are undertaken more seriously and professionally,” AD said.
Replying to AD’s statement yesterday evening, the Ministry for Rural Affairs and the Environment said it noted with satisfaction that “AD recognises and confirms that this is insect is only found in palm trees, contrary to what it had alleged earlier this week.”
And on the same subject, Nature Trust yesterday appealed to local authorities to plant more indigenous trees rather than import trees from other countries.