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2 maltatoday EXECUTIVE EDITOR Matthew Vella MANAGING EDITOR Saviour Balzan Letters to the Editor, MaltaToday, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt Letters must be concise, no pen names accepted, include full name and address maltatoday | SUNDAY • 26 APRIL 2020 This is about land-use, not hunting Editorial THE issue of who 'owns' the areas known as Il-Mi- zieb and l-Ahrax Tal-Mellieha – two of Malta's largest stretches of undeveloped woodland – is nothing new. In fact, it has been ongoing for over 30 years. The hunters' federation FKNK has long claimed that Mizieb is a legal hunting reserve: by virtue of an agreement signed in 1986 by former Prime Minister Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, which placed the woodland under the "administration" of the FKNK. However, this claim has been disputed ever since, and has never been backed by solid doc- umentary evidence. This was most clearly illus- trated in 2017, when the hunters' federation filed a police report against a Birdlife volunteer for accompanying BBC journalist Chris Packham to the area… an act which the FKNK interpreted as 'trespassing'. However, magistrate Charmaine Galea dis- missed the FKNK's claims, noting they had failed to present a site plan of Mizieb and an authentic copy of the elusive 1986 agreement. As things stand, then, the FKNK has no right to deny people entry to those areas; or to assume the mantle of 'custodian' of public land. But all this could be about to change. It is against this backdrop that Prime Minister Robert Abela has chosen to resuscitate the is- sue: proposing to Cabinet that both Mizieb and l-Ahrax be turned over to hunters under a formal management agreement… thus 'legitimising' the FKNK's claims. But the real problem has little to do with hunt- ing, conservation or even basic park management. This is ultimately about Malta's land-use policy: it is about the public's right of access to the coun- tryside, which – apart from being a right recog- nised by the Constitution – also has implications for the country's mental health. The reality is that we are living at a time when an unprecedented percentage of Malta's natural landscape is being lost to construction and urban- isation. Already there are reports indicating that the lack of access to nature is having deleterious effects on the population's well-being: we are in danger of raising future generations of children who will never see a tree, encounter any wildlife, or even hear the sound of birdsong. If government goes ahead with this proposal, it would be intentionally depriving the public of ac- cess to Malta's largest open woodland areas. For past experience indicates the FKNK will prevent the public from entering the sites... and this time, their claims of 'trespassing' will not be so easily rejected by the courts: given that a legal agree- ment would, in fact, exist. Effectively, it would mean barring entry to peo- ple during five months of autumn hunting season, and the beginning of spring in April: i.e., the ideal time of year for the Maltese public to enjoy such spaces. Regardless of one's views of hunting, this is simply unacceptable. With public land increasing- ly becoming an endangered resource, it is uncon- scionable to simply donate such a large swathe of pristine countryside to only one select lobby. But the proposal must also be countered for reasons of social justice. Time and again we have seen powerful lobbies secure special privileges, to the detriment of all other concerns. This gener- ates a deep feeling of helplessness and frustration in the face of greed and egoism, that in turn con- tributes to a downward psychological spiral. For this reason, the effort requires a popular alliance not just of environmental NGOs, but also civil action groups – including resident groups who are trying to fight the attack on their own urban centres from unbridled construction – as well as professional associations and institutions. People who can help in this regard include the Chamber of Architects, the Chamber of Psycholo- gists (as well as other ancillary health workers), the Chamber of Advocates, and also people who are in the creative industry: artists, writers and musicians. Why? Because there is far more at stake here than wildlife conservation alone: however impor- tant that consideration may be. This is a primarily a land-use issue, with far-reaching implications for our mental wellbeing, and the meaning of what it is to be a citizen in Malta today. Clearly, the proper way forward is to propose the equivalent of a Natural Parks Authority (as exist in other countries), in which all stakeholders are represented to ensure proper management of the site in question; and to ensure the widest possible enjoyment of the land, with strict rules in place. Nonetheless, it must start with civil society action. For if people do not form a front for com- mon decency, of vocal anger and indignation… we will remain powerless forever. 21 April 2010 No corruption, but plenty of stink SOME things in life are entirely predictable. One of these is the reaction of any government minister when serious irregularities in public tendering procedures – especially when these involve hundreds of millions of euros in taxpay- ers' money – are dragged into the cruel light of day. On Monday, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech gave us a textbook example of his government's usual reaction to such developments. Soon after the Auditor General's report into the De- limara contract was tabled in Parliament – a report which points towards serious breaches of procedure, none of which has so far been satisfactorily explained – Fenech issued a terse statement to the effect that 'no evidence for corruption' had been found, despite allegations made repeatedly by the Opposition for over a year. As far as the government is concerned, the lack of any 'smoking gun' – to borrow UN weapons inspector Hans Blix's immortal phrase from 2003 – is all there is to comment upon in the Auditor General's report. And sure enough, the usual friendly media echoed his response to the letter in their front-page headlines yester- day: with The Times and In-Nazzjon running different language versions of a story which was otherwise virtually identical in every single detail. However, both Fenech and the newspapers which parrot his opinions appear to be over- looking a number of important facts. ...i.e., that the Auditor's report, while stop- ping short of proving 'corruption' for reasons outlined above, nonetheless made a number of very serious observations – the least of which would have serious and lasting repercussions, in a country which respected the basic principles of transparency and accountability. These include the fact that, in awarding the contract to BWSC, the Contracts Department clearly sidestepped ordinary procedure on at least two counts: i.e., that the failed bidders were not duly notified as required by law; and (more importantly) that the tender document itself was not reissued altogether, following a change to the specifications concerning emis- sions. Both these points are central to the judicial procedures opened against the department by unsuccessful bidders, Bateman. ... Quote of the Week "You still find politicians… who openly attack our work in a clear attempt of intimidation intended to incite hatred against BirdLife Malta and its officials." BirdLife CEO Mark Sultana MaltaToday 10 years ago