A joint study published yesterday by BirdLife Malta and Heritage Malta – partners in the EU LIFE Yelkouan Shearwater Project – revealed an alarming extent of light pollution in Malta, and highlighted its effects on bird species and humans alike.

The report’s authors, Helen Raine of BirdLife Malta and John J. Borg of Heritage Malta, describe current light pollution levels in Malta as a “modern scourge”, and put forward a number of practical, inexpensive ways of rectifying the situation.

Project Manager Helen Raine comments, “Light pollution is a very serious problem in Malta for shearwaters and other species. We need the government to start taking this seriously. Incredibly, there are currently no regulations or official guidelines to control light pollution and, consequently, inappropriate and damaging lighting is still being installed.

“New legislation and enforcement is urgently required for future developments, as well as consideration of how to reduce the current levels of light in Malta. We call upon the government to ensure that this happens.”

The authors conclude that light pollution in Malta is a serious problem not only for shearwaters and migratory birds, but also in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and human quality of life.

According to the report, the main culprits contributing to the country’s light pollution levels are the ‘globe lights’ installed on promenades and other public areas across the islands, the over-illumination caused by the multiple rows of street lights, globe lights and spot lights unnecessarily installed in the same place, the lighting of hotels, the Malta Freeport and industrial estates.

The issue of reducing light pollution, the report found, goes beyond the protection of seabirds, with the report observing that significant over-illumination and poorly directed lighting leads to a correspondingly large amount of wasted energy that contributes to Malta’s overall carbon footprint.

The EU LIFE project – comprising as partners four government entities: Heritage Malta, Malta Maritime Authority, Malta Centre for Fisheries Sciences and the Armed Forces of Malta, and three conservation organisations: BirdLife Malta, BirdLife Portugal and BirdLife UK – is to now begin working with the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, local councils, residents and business owners.

This work is expected to centre on providing advice on how to reduce the most serious sources of light pollution. The project members are also to begin work with stakeholders in the areas surrounding the Rdum tal-Madonna area at L-Ahrax tal-Mellieha, Bugibba, St Paul’s Bay, Qawra/Salina and Xemxija – to see where action to reduce light pollution affecting the sanctuary could be taken.

A Best Practice Guide is to be published by September, which the authors suggest could be distributed nationwide by the government, while the Malta Tourism Authority’s scheme certifying environmentally-friendly businesses could also be extended to include light pollution considerations.

As matters stand, there are no legal regulations on light pollution and, while guidelines are said to be pending, the Structure Plan for the Maltese Islands makes no reference to the problems presented, although the MEPA planning application and Environmental Impact Assessment stages both respectively consider the effects of lighting and light pollution.

The report’s authors have called for the adoption of legislation to reduce light pollution in future development through the planning and enforcement systems, especially within a prescribed number of kilometres around ecologically sensitive areas, while also arguing a Dark Sky heritage concept could be developed within the Gozo and Comino Local Plan.

This, according to the report’s findings, should be coupled by a public awareness campaign encouraging residents to switch off lights and remove or replace unnecessary or inappropriate outdoor lighting, as well as a business awareness campaign to prevent over-illumination of hotel porches, windows and grounds.

The report has also called for the removal of globe lights, together with a complete prohibition on their future use, the prohibition of unnecessary external lighting, the replacement of other types of street lighting with a full cut-off design in a rolling programme, a reduction of over-illumination and seeking funding for future work in this area, which will also contribute to a reduction of CO2 emissions.

The study’s main aim was to assess the toll light pollution is taking on the Yelkouan Shearwaters, of which Malta hosts some 10 per cent of the world’s population. Yesterday’s study showed the species, which nests in cliffs around the Maltese Islands, is being driven from its nesting sites by light pollution.

The study focused on addressing light pollution near the shearwater cliff colonies, particularly at the EU LIFE project’s site at the Rdum tal-Madonna – l-Ahrax tal-Mellieha, which was used as the report’s case study.

Light pollution is an issue for shearwaters in particular, because when the young birds leave the nest they are dazzled by bright lights and are drawn inland, where they collide with buildings, instead of heading out to sea to fish. BirdLife Malta receives reports of several shearwaters injured in such a way every year.

Seabirds’ nesting sites are also affected by light pollution, with birds having been known to desert their nests even if one or two electric lights are installed nearby, while major developments have seriously reduced the areas of nesting habitat available for shearwaters.

Shearwaters at the Hal Far colony have also completely ceased to breed on top of the cliffs and along the upper section of the cliff face since extensive lighting was introduced in the industrial area, as well as in the docking area inside the Freeport.

The Freeport and the nearby industrial estate, the report notes, are the single-largest source of Malta’s light pollution problem, with the sky glow being visible from kilometres away. While lighting is required for safe nocturnal operations, the report adds, it is possible to illuminate the areas without creating any light pollution problems, in line with measures taken at the ECT Container Terminal in Rotterdam.

If the appropriate measures were were to be taken in the area, the report contends, there is a good chance that some of the areas vacated by the original shearwater colony due to light pollution could eventually be re-colonised.