The news that six loggerhead turtle nest sites have been found around the Maltese islands so far this summer is welcome.
While yes, it does mean that certain parts of beaches have been cordoned off, it is clearly important for such measures to be taken in order to ensure the protection of the potential hatchlings.
Nature Trues Malta and The Environment and Resources Authority have been collaborating to ensure the protection of such sites, and it is great that they are doing so.
Each press release about the finding of such sites mentions that the loggerhead turtle (Maltese: il-fekruna l-komuni), “is a long-living, slowly maturing marine species that inhabits tropical to warm temperate areas. This species is classified as globally endangered by the World Conservation Area (IUCN) and is also protected by various national and international legislation.” The volunteers who take part in the proteciton of the nesting sites are to be commended for their work.
They are an important part of the ecosystem. Among other things, they feed on jellyfish, so ensuring that as many survive as possible will have long-term benefits.
People are encouraged to immediately report any observations of turtle activity to ERA over the phone (2292 3500) or through its customer care system, or directly to NTM (9999 9505).
Sadly, we have seen in the past the mistreatment by certain people of protected animals. We are here referring to the hunting of protected birds. Each year news reports emerge about the shooting of protected birds, and one must stress the need to improve the protection of wildlife to prevent such happenings in the future. Laws are in place and they must be followed.
A visit to one of the nature reserves around the island during the migration season is all one needs to see, up close, the beauty of these creatures. Birds that are not on the hunting list are not to be shot at, yet in the past we have seen far too many examples of this happening, despite the laws prohibiting it.
It is not only harmful to nature, but those breaking the regulations also give a bad name to all hunters.
When talking about protecting nature, we must also talk about the protection of natural habitats. For example, certain areas are protected against light pollution at night.
All development damages the environment, but Malta hasn’t exactly developed in a way that best limits that damage. One can see that, for instance, our urban areas are devoid of greenery, that certain protected areas like Comino see huge amounts of foot traffic during the summer months, but one questions what kind of damage to the natural habitats on the island this creates for instance. The parts of Malta that are considered beautiful are the parts in which nature’s beauty still shines through, although they are becoming fewer and fewer.