Illegal dumping of household bulky waste was recently discovered at Pembroke by a voluntary ranger with Nature Trust Malta who inspects this Nature 2000 - designated site twice a week., Nature Trust Malta said today. The environmental organisation said it was seriously concerned about the lack of enforcement and commitment by the authorities to protect local natural heritage.  

It thanked the Pembroke Local Council, which had cleaned up the area by the time this press release was issued.

MEPA has identified 34 local Natura 2000 terrestrial sites and already €1.3 million were spent through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development to co-finance the management plans and provide a legal framework for the management of these sites besides to increase awareness amongst the general public and stakeholders.

However, NTM insisted that frequent patrols and prohibitive punitive measures should be put in place since such sites are continuously under threat. Two other Natura 2000 sites under constant dumping threat are il-Ballut ta’ Marsaxlokk (known also as Il-Maghluq), and il-Maghluq ta’ Marsascala. These are among the few Natura 2000 sites in the already densely populated South of Malta.

“Recently, MEP Therese Comodini Cachia highlighted a similar situation of illegal dumping of construction waste at Dwejra- another Natura 2000 designated site and urged the European Commission to intervene about the situation at Dwejra.

Rather than focusing on Dwejra, NTM insists that the European Commission would look into the state of all Natura 2000 sites, considering the size of our Islands and the fragility and constant threats at such sites which account to just 13% (just 42 km2) of our terrestrial land area.”