Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/616203
2 BIRDLIFE Malta yesterday launched a new book called 'His- tory of Ornithology in Malta' au- thored by long time ornithologists Joe Sultana and John J. Borg. The book is the first of its kind to give a comprehensive account of the evolvement of bird study and ornithological literature in Malta. Noting that the Maltese Islands' ornithological history is very rich and varied, BirdLife said the book traces all written references to bird observation and study in Malta, from a comment by a 16th century French monk to the latest ground-breaking ornithological research EU LIFE+ projects car- ried out by BirdLife. Judge Giovanni Bonello pre- sented a review of the book dur- ing the book launch at the Muse- um of Archaeology, highlighting the great amount of research that this publication entails. Joe Sultana and John J. Borg have been examining documents and manuscripts from various museums and libraries in Europe for the last 25 years. This has led to them compiling brief biographies of ornithologists who contributed to Maltese orni- thology in the past and enhance the book by several anecdotes, correspondences and diaries of these protagonists. Among them are Antonio Schembri, the father of Maltese ornithology, Charles A. Wright, a British pioneer of Maltese or- nithology, Giuseppe Despott, the museum's curator and many oth- ers. In almost 400 pages the book also highlights birds in Maltese Culture with the bird imagery and symbolism found from the earliest Neolithic times down to the Christian era; from an obses- sion of killing and trapping birds down to a changing attitude in recent years, with an increase of appreciation of birds in their nat- ural environment. The book progresses through- out a period of 300 years from the earliest contributions of the 18th century until the new era in Maltese Ornithology ushered in the 1960s by the foundation of the Malta Ornithological Society, now BirdLife Malta. The new book is illustrated and designed by Victor Falzon and its foreword is by Mark Anthony Falzon. 'History of Ornithology in Mal- ta' will be available from Media- Today and leading bookshops. maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 16 DECEMBER 2015 News 2 'Only Eddie Fenech Adami could hold Gatt's reins,' JPO says MIRIAM DALLI ONLY former Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami could con- trol Austin Gatt, the former Na- tionalist minister responsible for transport and infrastructure. Appearing before the parlia- mentary public accounts com- mittee, former Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando was called as a witness by the gov- ernment members on the com- mittee analysing Enemalta's fuel procurement between 2008 and 2013. The animosity that existed between Pullicino Orlando and Gatt was made amply clear dur- ing the last legislature. Then an independent MP, Pullicino Or- lando had also called for Gatt's resignation as transport minis- ter following the Arriva fiasco. Indeed, yesterday Pullicino Orlando cited Austin Gatt's at- titude as one of the reasons he had resigned the PN parliamen- tary group. "Gatt, especially during the last legislature, used to go his way a lot. Eddie Fenech Adami could hold his reins, but Gonzi couldn't … just look at the BWSC, the Arriva and Drydocks. Over and over again, decisions were taken arbitrarily. I didn't agree with him, and neither did other MPs," he said. As Justice Minister Owen Bon- nici and Tourism Minister Ed- ward Zammit Lewis probed Pul- licino Orlando about his time in the PN parliamentary group, a discussion on energy between the former MP and Beppe Fenech Adami degenerated. At one point, Pullicino Or- lando also called Fenech Adami "a pea-brain' [mohh ta' pizella] after the Nationalist MP kept referring to Pullicino Orlando's affinity with the Labour govern- ment. "There's nothing shameful in being part of this government… you judge people's worth on what they can do and not on their po- litical leaning," Pullicino Orlan- do told Fenech Adami. Pullicino Orlando had been telling the PAC that he had voiced concern over a legal no- tice passed by the previous ad- ministration that seemed to ac- commodate the BWSC. "The PN had been promising a switch to gas since 1999 so we couldn't understand the sudden choice to use heav y fuel oil," Pullicino Orlando said. This prompted Fenech Adami to remind his ex-colleague that the BWSC plant could have eas- ily been switched to gas, yet the Labour government kept it run- ning on heav y fuel oil. Calling Pullicino Orlando "a government spokesman", Fenech Adami asked him whether he was satisfied with Labour's de- lay in switching to gas, to which Pullicino Orlando replied: "I hope that we can switch to gas soon … just like the PN prom- ised in 1999." Court orders liquidation of failed investment firm GABRIEL SCHEMBRI A court has ordered the liq- uidation of Maltese Cross Finance Services Limited, a failed investment firm, after two of its directors filed an application. In August 2014, the firm had its licence suspended after the financial watchdog had estab- lished that it was not in a po- sition to meet its obligations. The firm owed more than €6 million to various companies. Jean Claude Bugeja, one of the company directors, was charged with fraud. The ac- cused pleaded not guilty. Last March, company direc- tors and shareholders Stephen Spiteri and Robert Cutajar, had filed an application in court to declare the company bankrupt. Mr Justice Joseph Zammit Mckeon noted that the two company directors who filed the application, were not in- formed of the firm's financial situation. The court upheld the request to have the firm liquidated. Among them are Antonio Schembri, the father of Maltese ornithology, Charles A. Wright, a British pioneer of Maltese or- nithology, Giuseppe Despott, the museum's curator and many oth- In almost 400 pages the book also highlights birds in Maltese Culture with the bird imagery and symbolism found from the earliest Neolithic times down to the Christian era; from an obses- sion of killing and trapping birds down to a changing attitude in recent years, with an increase of appreciation of birds in their nat- The book progresses through- out a period of 300 years from the earliest contributions of the 18th century until the new era in Maltese Ornithology ushered in the 1960s by the foundation of the Malta Ornithological Society, now BirdLife Malta. The new book is illustrated and designed by Victor Falzon and its foreword is by Mark Anthony Falzon. 'History of Ornithology in Mal- ta' will be available from Media- Today and leading bookshops. BirdLife launches book on history of ornithology in Malta The new publication reveals the rich history of bird study in the Maltese Islands Minister Owen Bonnici at the Public Accounts Committee hearing