Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1019057
25 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 26 AUGUST 2018 OPINION keeping ambition: apart from the sheer amount of rhinoceros dung I'd have to shovel all day, 'Beasts in My Belfry' also made me aware of the broader responsibili- ties involved. These include a responsibility towards the animals themselves – and in this case, I'd like to think the developers (who obvi- ously must love animals) do at least have the intention to live up to it – but also to the general public, if not to the global ecology in general. It is these latter details that appear to be missing from the local equation. Not just in relation to the Dingli pro- posal, but also with regard to at least one other unlicensed zoo currently operational in Malta: the Montekristo Ani- mal Park, which – unlike the former – does indeed seem to have circumvented the most basic planning permit conditions, without facing any form of sanction from the Planning Authority. It is for this reason that, while I agree with the ERA's decision in this case, I can- not applaud the planning authorities for taking a stand against the 'Serengeti Animal Park' in Dingli. Those de- velopers would be perfectly right to question why the PA adopted such a totally different yardstick in the Montekristo case: allowing one unlicensed zoo to oper- ate without a permit, while refusing to retroactively sanction another. The question becomes even more relevant when you real- ise that Montekristo doesn't conform to any of the above considerations either – and there have been at least two accidents involving people injured by zoo animals: in one case, a tiger which was let out of its cage when the park was full of people. What both cases have in common, it seems, is that the entire project – a 'zoo in Malta' – fails to meet the very first, entry-level re- quirement of any such facil- ity, anywhere in the world. 'Because I want to open a zoo' – either as a childhood ambition, or as a money- making venture – is simply not a good enough reason to go ahead and open a bleeding zoo: even with a permit, let alone without one. But before we talk about giving out permits for zoos, we need to: a) decide if it is, or should be permissible to open a zoo in Malta at all, and; b), establish a basic legal infrastructure to regulate the permit conditions. At present, there is only an archaic, British-era law which was clearly devised to cater for places like San Anton, first opened in 1888. I need hardly add it does not go into the educational and conservational responsibili- ties that should technically go with the job. So until this legislation is updated to the 21st century... can we really blame people – even if pa- tently unqualified – for try- ing to open a zoo in Malta, even if they evidently have no clue what it even entails? My answer to that is: no, we can't. It is both natural and understandable that people will keep trying. It is some- what less understandable, however, that a 21st century country doggedly refuses to ever draw up laws to estab- lish proper legal parameters for that purpose: if noth- ing else, at least so that any serious future applicants would know in advance what they're really going in for. After all, we can't ex- actly complain about 'ille- gal zoos'... when the entire country is one big 'legal jungle'. Serengeti? a one-stop shop for all your investments At Bank of Valletta, we provide you with a one-stop shop for all your investment needs. You can choose from a wide range of deposit products, life assurance, investment plans, investment funds, portfolio management and stockbroking services. BOV INVESTMENTS Visit any BOV branch or Investment Centre in Malta or Gozo to discuss your financial planning requirements and to set an appointment with one of our professional Financial Advisors. Issued by Bank of Valletta p.l.c., 58, Triq San Żakkarija, Il-Belt Valletta VLT 1130 More information is available from www.bov.com or contact 2131 2020. The value of investments may go down as well as up and may be affected by changes in currency exchange rates. Bank of Valletta p.l.c. is a public limited company regulated by the MFSA and is licensed to carry out investment services in terms of the Investment Services Act (Cap. 370 of the Laws of Malta). Bank of Valletta p.l.c. is an enrolled tied insurance intermediary of Mapfre M.S.V. Life p.l.c. Mapfre MSV Life is authorised by the MFSA to carry out long term business of insurance under the Insurance Business Act (Cap. 403 of the Laws of Malta). COM 1980