Environmental NGOs condemn Dwejra vandalism

The environmental NGOs Birdlife Malta, Din L-Art Helwa, Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Friends of the Earth Malta, Gaia Foundation, Light Pollution Awareness Group, Nature Trust (Malta) and Ramblers Association in a joint statement have strongly condemned the vandal attacks recently held at Dwejra Heritage Park in Gozo where graffiti was sprayed on information boards and on rocks in the area.

"Dwejra is today a designated Natura 2000 site and a possible candidate as a World heritage site due to its paleontological, geological, ecological, ornithological , marine ecology and scenic importance. Apart for its ecological importance, Dwejra is also one of the main tourist sites on the Maltese Islands, visited by thousands of visitors each year who contribute to the economy of the operators in the park such as diving clubs, tour operators and boat ride people.

"Over the last years over 400,000 euro have been spent on the park to stop the environmental degradation and start conservation measures for the full protection of this site. It is therefore a great shame that such vandalism still exists and is still practiced by very irresponsible persons against society and the environment," the organisations said.

They called on the enforcement authorities to step up their work towards the protection of such sites and investigate all vandalism. They also appealed to the authorities to strengthen units such as the Administrative Law Enforcement Unit so that more effective law enforcement could be made.