Poacher turns gamekeeper

Once again, Times of Malta (February 12) uses the tendentious word ‘poaching’ to describe the actions of the UK government in welcoming nurses from third countries such as India, Pakistan and the Philippines who wish to move from Malta to work in the UK.

What word, then, should be used to describe the actions of the Maltese authorities in encouraging these excellent people to move from their countries of origin to Malta in the first place?

Alan Cooke – Sliema

Worrying plans

The road leading to the picturesque bay of Daħlet Qorrot is to be rebuilt. Photo: viewingmalta.com

The ministry of Gozo, in a grandiose manner, announced on a billboard placed at the beginning of Triq Daħlet Qorrot that the latter will be rebuilt. I think it would have been better to rebuild Racecourse Street, Nadur. This really needs to be rebuilt.

Triq Daħlet Qorrot needs only to be resurfaced and not rebuilt. And I have some points to make.

Was a Planning Authority permit issued for this work and does ERA know about this? On the PA geoserver map, there is nothing indicated and I did not receive any light after I sent e-mails to both ERA and PA.

Daħlet Qorrot Valley is a place of natural beauty, heavily farmed in some places but having untouched natural habitats in other parts, like the cliffs on the left, old grand rubble walls, outcrops of rocks with wild indigenous plants near the roadside and old carob trees. So I think a PA permit is needed and an impact assessment on the natural environment should have been done and ERA supervises the works.

Rebuilding the road again brings to mind widening it and this would mean large structural works and the taking up of agricultural land. Does rebuilding the road mean building the bridge again with dire consequences to San Filep Bay?

Building rubble walls may mean removing some old rubble walls, which are of more value than new ones. They have been there for centuries and their stones have aged with time.

It may mean removing the outcrops of rock near the wayside, destroying the wild indigenous plants like thyme and cutting down a big old carob tree. And, in some places, building rubble walls on the right-hand side of the road as one goes down means obstructing the view of Daħlet Qorrot Valley and Ta’ Toċċ.

It seems that the Nadur local council was not even consulted but just informed and I am not aware that the multitude of part-time farmers in the area have been consulted.

Sometimes, being too efficient in getting things done or being too eager to garner EU funds for rubble walls does not augur well for the natural environment.

Joe Portelli – Nadur

Different views on priesthood

It is indeed significant that stories that blemish the priesthood are given two whole prominent pages in the same week in Times of Malta and in its Sunday sister  while the story of a doctor-priest who, for the past 27 years, has been giving service to the poor of the Peruvian Amazon is relegated to a short write-up and photo on page 23 (February 8).

Joseph Psaila – Victoria

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