Fifty-eight indigenous or protected trees had to be uprooted this year to make way for infrastructure projects, but these were replanted elsewhere, infrastructure minister Aaron Farrugia told Parliament on Tuesday.

He was replying to a parliamentary question by PN MP Rebekah Borg.

Farrugia said that, whenever trees need to be uprooted due to infrastructural projects, Infrastructure Malta collaborates with the Environment and Resources Authority to obtain the necessary permits and ensure that environmental damaged is as low as possible.

In cases where the uprooted trees are not alien or invasive species, the agency does its best to replant them in the vicinity or, if this is not possible, in other areas, the minister said.

“Apart from species that were not indigenous or protected, this year 58 trees had to be removed but these were replanted mostly in the vicinity and the agency is caring for them to ensure that they keep growing,” Farrugia said.

The minister added that the ERA also requires Infrastructure Malta to plant a number of new trees for every one that is uprooted, as stipulated in Maltese environmental legislation. He said, however, that Infrastructure Malta goes over and above what the law requires and, over the past three years it has planted 44,000 trees and 40,000 bushes and plants in different urban and rural areas. This includes several afforestation projects, including in Bengħajsa, Msida and Żebbuġ.