Buskett vegetation 'removed'

Three leading environmental NGOs have expressed concern at certain "landscaping" activities carried out at Buskett.

Members of BirdLife Malta, Din l-Art Helwa and Nature Trust have complained that extensive stretches of vegetation were indiscriminately removed last week without any concern for wildlife or the overall natural importance of this unique habitat.

The NGOs thanked the Ministry for Rural Affairs and the Environment for acting immediately upon their reports and for halting the works.

The NGOs said they hoped the necessary steps will now be taken to investigate and remedy this situation. They called on the government to manage Buskett as a nature reserve and not as a public garden. This is not the first time that such "weed clearing", as it is conveniently referred to, has caused extensive damage to natural areas, the NGOs said. Some months ago the same exercise was carried out in the valley floor at Wied il-Luq, in the Buskett area, fuelling nature lovers' ire at the "landscaping" works.

They said the clearing of the vegetation resulted in the loss of species such as the legally protected Lentisk and Holm Oak as well as the destruction of a habitat used by a variety of insects and several species of birds, including the Sardinian Warbler and Cetti's Warbler.

This area is one of five international important bird areas in Malta and was designated a Special Area of Conservation last year. This means it should be enjoying its legal protection status as a whole habitat, the NGOs said.