Many years ago my old friend the late Pietru Gauci, il-Pirrex, an expert farmer at Għajn Żejtuna woke up early one spring morning and found bulldozers uprooting whatever he had in his fields. The question is, why were his fields so unceremoniously grabbed, his old carob and fig trees uprooted, his rubble walls vandalised and turned to radam? The answer is: Because for the authorities, Mother Nature played second fiddle to commercial considerations.
The hotel. Years ago the traditionally silent atmosphere at Selmun close by the majestic palace was shattered by the jarring sound of rock-cutting machinery. That was the start of the nearby hotel. Again, Mother Nature suffered. Why is it that no one stood up to bravely protest against those who threatened their environment and built the hotel when it could have been built elsewhere? Because for the authorities, Mother Nature played second fiddle to commercial considerations.
The internal architecture of Selmun Palace. In the early 1990s, Selmun Palace itself was attacked. Its original internal architecture was vandalised, walls were sand-blasted, the old oven was removed, arches removed, the ground dug open, walls ripped open, steel beams inserted into the old walls. Incredibly, Mellieħa local council did not, at that time, want to investigate when alerted repeatedly! Other authorities intervened when they were sure that the work had been almost completed! You could not fight powerful windmills. Our cultural heritage had to suffer. For the authorities, Mother Nature played second fiddle to commercial considerations.
Iċ-ċangar. Hundreds of years ago, a magnificent corbelled stone road was built – probably by the Romans – up from the Mistra valley on the way to Mellieħa, forking and snaking further up into Selmun. Until a few decades ago it was still used by local farmers and shepherds and it was scheduled as a heritage site in the 1990s. During that time people threw radam over the `angar, but the authorities would not do anything to prevent more harm. “You cannot stop progress!” I was told. For the authorities, Mother Nature played second fiddle to commercial considerations.
Mistra Battery
Over the years, fish-farming activities were started at the Qala tal-Mistra. No one seemed to care what was really happening there. Over the years, the sea gradually turned murky, the garigues surrounding the fort became an ugly, dirty, unkempt industrial site and the old fort suffered considerable damage. I am not saying that the present fish entrepreneur was responsible. I do not know who was responsible for the damage and the environmental vandalism and I am not a detective with a magnifying glass to find out who was, but fish-related activities have undeniably caused cumulative damage. We had been given to understand that the authorities had been assured that no environmental damage would be caused. Now we are being told that Selmun will not suffer with a plant on its garigues. Hopefully it does not, but is it not only natural for me to be wary of this assurance? And do I deserve to be lynched if I voice my concerns?
NGOs and members of the public protested against the ugly sight of trailers and trucks and containers but nothing was done. Why did the authorities give a permit to the fish-farming people in the first place many years ago, causing so much suffering to our heritage? Because for the authorities, Mother Nature always plays second fiddle to commercial considerations.
To complete this particular story, fish-related activities are now finally ceasing at the Fort and a financial contribution is being made to repair the damage caused over the years. This is being done at the same time that the area in Selmun site adjacent to the NATURA 2000 site is being handed over.
The Fish-packaging factory
and NATURA 2000
The list showing our gross insensitivity towards the environment has no end. There are many examples of the apathy that we show towards our own environment with the blessing of the authorities whom we vote into power to defend what little natural heritage we have. No one in his right senses would block investment in a factory that provides work to people. But why is the need to hide the factory underground? Is it possible to hide the activity underground for ever? But I ask in all honesty, why jeopardise the beauty of the natural environment when the same factory could very easily be in an area that is already industrialised? The answer is simple: because for our authorities, Mother Nature plays second fiddle to commercial considerations.
The period for objections has long passed, and any objections should have been lodged a long time ago. Indeed, the application has been there since 2007 and no one knew about it! It never even crossed my mind that anyone would want to build a factory so close to the garigues, so I missed the application stuck to the wall. Perhaps I have been careless. But even Mellieħa local council missed it as well. We were all taken unawares, it seems. And the Mellieħa people have been let down many times. Why did the expert guardians of our environment not spot this looming agent of environmental change, which they were duty bound to detect and prevent? And if they missed it, why did the executive authorities confirm the permits? Because for them, Mother Nature plays second fiddle to commercial considerations.
Barbeques on the garigues
I know that the current Mellieħa local council has the Mellieħa environment at heart. I collaborated closely with them over the publication of my book Quest for Identity – the Mellieħa experience. The council erected very visible signs forbidding barbeques on the garigues that are the NATURA 2000 site. I totally agree that no barbeques should be held on the garigues. But why is it that while the hard-working Mellieħa local council is objecting to simple barbeques on the garigues, the authorities have arrogantly overruled them and agreed to allow a fish-packaging factory on the same site? Why is it that the authorities overrule the wishes of an environment-loving local council? Because for the authorities, Mother Nature plays second fiddle to commercial considerations.
Will the factory mot be in a protected zone? It is barely two metres away from the officially protected NATURA 2000 garigues. It beats me how this can have been so completely overlooked by everybody. Of course, the application is technically completely in order. But despite reported promises and guarantees, will it be possible to avoid the comings and goings and the sight of trailers, trucks, etc., on the garigues? Will it be possible to keep industrial sights truly underground or hidden behind trees and within their confines without trespassing on the surrounding fields and garigues? I have my doubts – but I hope I am wrong. What happened to Mistra fort cannot be ignored. Mellieħa local council has said that steps must be taken to hide the factory. Will it really be possible for the entrepreneur to continuously hide the activity underground? Has anyone felt the need to consider this? No, because for the authorities, Mother Nature plays second fiddle to commercial considerations.
I have no doubt whatsoever that the entrepreneur is absolutely in order, that he is not to be blamed and that he has all the required permits. And this is precisely my great concern: why should the authorities allow all this, while the helpless, voiceless environment suffers? It has also been reported that considerable efforts will be required to hide the factory from view. These are important cosmetic steps to cover blemishes planned for a beautiful face and only serve to emphasise how truly out of place this fish-packaging activity will be and how concerned an environment-loving council is, now that they have accepted the project even though they were originally against it. For the authorities, Mother Nature always plays second fiddle to commercial considerations.
Incongruous location
Once more, we have simply mistreated our environment. I believe that genuine insistence that the factory be relocated could have been bolder. The environment is voiceless. We have to be the voice of the environment. The environment is helpless. We have to provide the required help. The environment can take a lot of punishment. The environment can suffer. Mother Nature always plays second fiddle to commercial considerations.
Many years ago, I suggested a national park in the area, an open-air museum with walks in the countryside explaining points of traditional interest. The current Mellieħa council has secured EU funds to push on with these same ideas and create heritage trails. These same trails are ironically in the Mġiebaħ valley famous for its garigues and apiaries and not for its fish-packaging activities on the way into the valley. Why this should have been agreed to is something that baffles me. I am further saddened to learn that the fish-packaging activity is to be included in the planned heritage trail for tourists, even if traditionally and culturally a fish-packaging factory has absolutely nothing at all to do with the completely rural heritage of the site. I feel that visits to a fish-packaging factory and aquaria are only to be included in the planned rural trail as a way of accommodating an incongruous activity in an unrelated, out-of-context location.
The insensitivity of the authorities has been summed up by our own Prime Minister himself who simply said that he sees no reason why the permission to construct the fish factory so close to the NATURA 2000 site should be revoked. That is precisely my point. Why did the insensitive bulldozer ransack Pietru Gauci’s fields? Why were the internal features of Selmun Palace destroyed? Why was the beauty of the garigues spoilt by building the hotel? Why was the `angar desecrated? Why are we ruining the clay slopes at Il-Blata? Why are there buildings on the ħawlija? Why are the neighbouring garigues destined to be covered with buildings in the future? Why is more destruction of the environment moving stealthily into the area even now? Why do local councils have to waste their energies looking out for people wanting to snatch bits of the environment when they can do other more useful work? Why do people keep popping up thinking of ways to hit Mother Nature even in these days of so much education? Why is there no real deterrent? It’s simple! Because for the authorities themselves, Mother Nature always plays second fiddle to commercial considerations.