It is no secret that Malta and Gozo, islands rich with paleontological heritage, are facing distressing trends of rampant, often unchecked, development. Such poorly planned construction not only destroys vital wildlife habitats, beautiful Maltese vernacular architecture and invaluable archaeological remains, but also threatens millions-of-years-old fossils.

Recent roadwork expansion on Triq Ta’ Viani/Triq Ġorġ Pisani in Rabat, Gozo (tied to the controversial Triq Marsalforn road-widening project), has cut into a Miocene era geological layer, dated around 16 to 13 million years ago.

I first observed this destruction from my balcony late last week. Worried about the possibility that some archaeological remains were being destroyed (the site is very near Roman quarries), I decided to investigate. 

As I walked among the scattered rocks, I found not one but two Carcharocles megalodon teeth (verified by the Natural History Museum of Gozo). One was literally right below the wheel of the bulldozer. I also found scores of other fossil-containing rocks amid the rubble.

In terms of archaeology, there were two small man-made caves cut into the limestone that could very well be centuries old. Shockingly, there were no signs of site-monitoring, despite this area’s archaeological and paleontological significance.

After discovering these remains, I spent five hours on the phone and computer in a soul-destroying and mind-numbing bureaucratic labyrinth.

In an effort to halt the works, I filed a complaint with the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage. I called the police who told me to call the local council. I contacted the local council who said they would read my complaint at the next meeting.

Another man-made cave

I called the ministry who told me to contact the Planning Authority.  I e-mailed the Planning Authority’s Enforcement Unit who told me that “roadworks do not fall under the remit of the Planning Authority” and told me to contact Infrastructure Malta.

I called Infrastructure Malta who told me to contact the ministry (which I had done hours before).

Beyond frustrated, I called the Planning Authority again. This time, they took down the information and told me they would launch an investigation. When I e-mailed them again, they told me to provide them the “permit number”, “marked site plan or co-ordinates”, but offered no guidance as to how to obtain this information.

During these wasted five hours, the bulldozing continued, and millions of years of paleontological remains were obliterated in an instant.

The lack of efficiency in reporting this destruction (let alone halting it) was flabbergasting, but I did find some interesting information. First, I was told that the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage only monitors for archaeological, not paleontological, remains.

How can that be? How can our millions-of-years-old past not be as valued and protected as our centuries-old past?

I spent five hours on the phone in a soul-destroying and mind-numbing bureaucratic labyrinth- Dawn Adrienne Saliba

Is not a 16-million-year-old megalodon tooth just as worth preserving as 1,200-year-old Roman pottery?

The second thing I learned during those five frustrating hours was that although it was perfectly legal for the bulldozer to destroy the fossils and megalodon teeth, it was technically illegal for me to pick it up to save it.

Such a law is beyond comprehension – it is far more important for these remains to be saved, and the government should empower citizens to find such artefacts and then give them to our Natural History Museums, which I fully intend to do.

Perhaps special licences could even be issued by Heritage Malta for fossil enthusiasts to collect and return such priceless artefacts. What a benefit to scientific research that would be. Preservation, not destruction, should be the primary focus.

The shark teeth

Every country on the entire planet has a crucial responsibility to preserve, study and share information regarding ancient fossils. Paleontological remains provide invaluable insights into the history of life on Earth, and the megalodon teeth and other fossils on Gozo’s little street shed light on marine life from millions of years ago.

Such findings help us understand how species have evolved and adapted over time and provide insights into past climates and environmental changes. This knowledge is critical in understanding current climate change trends and predicting future ecological shifts.

These artefacts are not just curiosities, they are crucial records of the history of life. Destroying them is akin to the burning of the Dead Sea Scrolls or the Library of Alexandria.

We must safeguard these fossils and correct the serious lapse in Malta’s regulations. Paleontological monitoring, like archaeological monitoring, must be mandated. There also needs to be a clear and easily accessible reporting system so concerned citizens can easily take action to protect their heritage.

The establishment of a dedicated hotline and a streamlined reporting system is essential for safeguarding our island’s rich historical and scientific legacy –this should cover reports of environmental pollution and illegal hunting as well as the protection of our cultural, archaeological and paleontological remains.

It is high time our nation fulfils its responsibility to its people and the world by taking decisive action to protect the precious few paleontological treasures remaining.

Citizens are tired of seeing their beautiful landscape, unique heritage and ancient past being bulldozed and covered with concrete before their very eyes.

Government, please take action.

Dawn Adrienne Saliba is president of MALTA-ARCH.