The Church has backed ‘Spazji Miftuħa’, a coalition of environment NGOs set up to resist government plans to hand the management of L-Aħrax and Mizieb woodlands to the hunters' organisations.

In a statement on Wednesday, the church's Justice and Peace Commission did not specifically mention L-Aħrax and Miżieb, but said it is endorsing the coalition and its call for natural open places to be protected and accessible to everyone.

The government is currently considering a plan that would see the two woodland areas, both in Mellieħa, handed over to hunters to manage. The terms of the proposed deal remain secret.

In its statement, the Church commission said the importance of open spaces became more evident during the past weeks of partial lockdown, and this week is the fifth anniversary of the publication of the encyclical by Pope Francis, “On Care for Our Common Home”.

"The lockdown of the last few weeks has brought to the fore the lack of such spaces, which can provide some respite from the noise and pollution found in our busy neighbourhoods," the commission said. 

One of the main themes of the encyclical was that humankind was showing a
growing attitude of domination and exploitation of the natural environment to the detriment of humankind itself, it added.

The encyclical warned that when the environment was exploited, the first to suffer were very often the poor.

Protection of open spaces was therefore necessary not only for environmental reasons but as a matter of social justice.

While it was sometimes necessary, for the protection and preservation of the ecosystems, to limit public access, it was a different matter when a space was closed so that private activities could be held, as that went against the principle of the common good, the commission said.

It said it is therefore endorsing the initiative ‘Spazji Miftuħa’,  whilst calling for
restraint in the development of protected spaces in Malta and for these
protected areas to "remain accessible to everyone throughout the year".