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NEWS 10 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 8 NOVEMBER 2023 PROFS Victor Axiak, Profs Alfred Vella, and Mary Gaerty have been awaded this year's prestigious Buonamico Award. The Buonamico Award is a yearly award-giving ceremony held under the patronage of the President of Malta which distinguishes individuals whose actions and achieve- ments benefited our biodiver- sity and the environment. This prestigious award has been inspired Malta's first naturalist, Giovanni Francesco Buonamico, who had recog- nized the importance of our natural environment in the 17th century. His varied in- tellectual interests resulted in the writing of at least four im- portant manuscripts on natu- ral history including the first flora of the Maltese Islands, the so-called "Brevis Notitia" manuscripts which acted as the basis for today's modern reference books. Buonamico's role was pivotal for an environmental regula- tor's perspective, with scien- tific evidence based work as the basis of all decision taking measures, to assure correct implementation to safeguard the Environment from a legis- lative perspective. This year, the three members of the public were chosen for their direct impacts on our natural environment and bio- diversity. Axiak has been a Professor in Biology at the University of Malta for almost four decades, where he has held various ad- ministrative posts including Head of Department, Dean of Science, and then Deputy Dean of Science. During this time, he was actively involved in environ- mental matters and conducted research in marine pollution and the application of a wide range of ecotoxicological tools to evaluate local marine qual- ity, ranging from molecular biomarkers to satellite remote sensing. Such research included the first use of imposex as a bio- monitoring tool for antifoul- ing agents in the Mediterra- nean, and the first surveys of microplastics in local sandy beaches. During the 1980s he coordi- nated the first monitoring and research of jellyfish blooms both locally and in the Med- iterranean. He has lectured on environmental matters in several foreign universities including that of Dalhousie (Halifax, Canada) and of Bar- celona and lectured in inter- national postgraduate courses on environment in the Medi- terranean. He has been a member of various national bodies on en- vironment and sustainable de- velopment. He was a Board member of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, and sub- sequently of the Planning Authority. Since its inception in 2016, he had chaired the Environment and Resources Authority until January 2023. During the early 2000s he was instrumental in the setting up of the Interdiocesan Envi- ronment Commission of the Church in Malta where he act- ed as chairperson for 10 years until 2013. For several years, he acted as an environmental consultant to various local and interna- tional agencies, departments and private companies. He has published and/or co-edited numerous books various sci- entific papers and reports. Vella served as Head of Chemistry, Dean of the Fac- ulty of Science, Pro-Rector for Academic Affairs and Rector of the University of Malta. For over 30 years, Vella's out- reach commitments extended beyond University walls serv- ing; the Magistrates Court as forensic expert in judicial inquiries on fires, explosion and chemical accidents; con- sultancy services to state and non-state entities including acting as environmental advi- sor to Deputy Prime Minister George Vella as vice-chair of the Consultative and Adviso- ry Board for the Environment (CABE) (1996-1998). Vella was a Board member of the Planning Authority, the board of governors of the Malta Council for Science and Technology and Heritage Mal- ta and most recently was an ERA board member for seven years until February 2023. Over a period of over 50 years, Professor Vella has ef- fectively contributed to the environment through his work, both as a researcher and as a trainer. He has trained hundreds of students, many of whom to- day work in the environmental field, including scientists, Uni- versity academics, in regula- tory agencies, manufacturing industries and teachers of sci- ence in schools and colleges. Vella's research on the qual- ity of Malta's environmen- tal resources include years of work on the contamination of coastal seawater, marine biota and sediments by tributyltin then used in ship antifouling paint: this contaminant was shown to be pervasive and even present in settled out- door and indoor dust. He was instrumental in push- ing into national focus aware- ness and discussion of issues like nitrates in tap and bottled water; black dust deposition; benzene in air; particulate dust pollution from the construc- tion and ship repair industries and widespread and persistent pollution by toxic metals and perchlorate from fireworks. Gaerty is the co-founder and chairperson of Green Skip Ser- vices Ltd, a waste management and consultancy company. Understanding the potential long-term environmental im- pacts of waste management in the context of the limited knowhow available in Malta at the time, she opted to pri- oritise education and training. She took the initiative to take the discussion to the relative authorities, raising awareness and highlighting the impor- tance of personal safety for staff, for proper packaging and for safe disposal subsequent- ly successfully obtaining cer- tification in numerous other areas of waste management, including packaging, export, categorisation and safety. Gaerty focused on education which was at the forefront of her efforts from the outset, including through school vis- its aimed at communicating to children the importance of environmental protection and of reusing, reducing and re- cycling, at a time when these notions were still years away from being incorporated in- to the national curriculum, mentoring numerous students working on their theses in ar- eas related to her competence. She remained active in this area and beyond becoming a Full Member of the Chartered Institute of Wastes Manage- ment in 2016, President of the National Council of Women (NCW) chairing the Coun- cil's Environment Commit- tee, leading entrepreneurship projects, lobbying for more opportunities for women to enter the labour market, and raising awareness on domestic violence and human traffick- ing, amongst other issues. Throughout her career, she has been involved in numer- ous consultation meetings dealing with the environment, particularly in the waste man- agement sector, including is- sues linked with recycling op- tions and circular economy. The Scout Association of Malta and the Malta Girl Guides where also honoured and awarded the Buonamico Special Recognition Award for their sterling work in the en- virnomental domain. Both the President of Mal- ta, George Vella, and ERA's Chairman, Vincent Cassar, congratulated the winners and their families, whilst thanking them for their priceless efforts towards the environment and for bravely spearheading in- itiatives that started to bring about societal change within Malta and amongst the Mal- tese. Winners of the prestigious Buonamico Award 2023 announced