Man fined for firing flares off boat in Ramla Bay during turtle nesting season
The man was fined €3,500
A 66-year-old Sliema man has been fined €3,500 for firing flares from a cabin cruiser anchored in Ramla l-Ħamra at a time the bay was subjected to an Emergency Conservation Order due to a loggerhead turtle nest.
On August 30, 2024, at around 8pm, Nature Trust volunteers were looking after a turtle nest when they noticed a cabin cruiser anchored in the bay, displaying a bright white and blue light.
Later that night, at around 9.45pm, flares were lit on the boat, with one landing on the beach close to the volunteers. None were hit, but one of the flares ended on the sand dunes, setting them ablaze. The fire died down some minutes later.
The next day, it was established that the cabin cruiser Great Whale belonged to Mario Hammett. It also emerged that the cabin cruiser was anchored in an area under an Emergency Conservation Order.
Hammett was arraigned before a court and accused of breaching the conservation order by disposing of rubbish not inside an appropriate container and by firing a flare. He was further charged of generating light between 6.30pm and 7.30am and generating noise near the turtle nest in breach of the same order.
He was also accused of firing the flare in breach of the Explosives Ordinance and of breaching the Ports and Shipping Act. He was also accused of failing to adhere to the Local Notice to Mariners Number 005 of the year 2022.
He was further charged with breaching the public peace and of disturbing the repose of the inhabitants by rowdiness or bawling, or in any other manner.
He denied the charges.
The court found the man guilty of firing a flare in breach of the restrictions in place at the time, with the court saying that ignorance of the law was no excuse. It assumed that due to the order being published in the Government Gazette, everyone was aware of it.
The court also found Hammett had generated uncovered light, and also found him guilty of breaching the notice to mariners when using a flare not in the case of an emergency and breaching the public peace.
He was fined €3,500.
Magistrate Jean Paul Grech presided.
Police inspector Josef Gauci prosecuted.