The cliffs and coastline from Delimara point to Ras il-Fenek included are every year more and more mushrooming with dwellings: dozens of hunters’ shelters and boat garages have been extended to be converted into houses and to those, other constructions have been added right by the edge of the cliffs. At Il-Hofra z-Zghira there is a crane at work and two large streaks of burnt land can be seen from the sea, not an accidental fire for sure. Is all this legal? It’s not. Why isn’t the law enforced?

In one of the many interesting publications of MEPA, the one entitled Maltese coastal cliffs (2007) building is mentioned as one of the threats to the ecological community unique and restricted along cliffs and screes of the southern and western parts of the country.

In the same publication as well as in others one reeds of “Environment Protection Act”, of “Development Planning Act” which have designated different parts of the Maltese cliffs as special areas of conservation, special protection areas, areas of ecological importance and sites of scientific importance. Where are these areas and sites located? Judging from the increase of buildings in the area mentioned at the beginning I assume they are not in this part of the country.

How silly of me to hope some environment protection was performed here, by now I should have learnt that for the last 20 years from Birzebbuga to Marsaxlokk, it is a part of Malta which has been designated (sentenced) to host the great pollution carriers the whole country benefits from.

Dr Tiziana Buriani

Marsaxlokk