Construction illegalities continued unabated this past week as the Malta Ranger Unit identified two sites of unlawful building works close to each other in Mellieħa.

The unit said it had spotted workers loading tools onto a construction vehicle at a boathouse-turned-villa that has been accruing daily fines after being served with a Planning Authority (PA) enforcement notice last year.

And, the next day, rangers alerted the authorities to illegal excavation works to expand a separate boathouse close by, with officers from the PA and the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) stopping the works soon after.

Both sites are in Armier Bay, close to the historic Torri l-Abjad (White Tower) and within a Natura 2000 area – a network of nature protection areas across the EU where development is strictly controlled.

Slamming the two incidents as examples of impunity and rampant environmental abuse, the unit questioned the effectiveness of enforcement notices and called on the authorities to stop sanctioning construction illegalities.

Comparing aerial photos of a site taken in 2012, 2018 and this year, in a post on Facebook the Malta Ranger Unit (MRU) showed how a former “low-key” boathouse below Torri l-Abjad has been transformed into a sprawling villa over the last decade.

It said that, while on patrol, rangers had spotted several individuals loading tools onto a construction truck and had notified the authorities, with PA officers arriving shortly after and documenting the incident to add to a “growing case” against the occupant.

While the site was issued an enforcement notice in 2011, this was later withdrawn, with a new enforcement notice issued last year that has been accruing daily fines since.

According to the PA, the contravenor, Naser Alshalsh had constructed a “boathouse, parapet, boundary walls, wooden canopy and wooden fence with gate” without permission.

Commenting on the measure, the MRU said the notice was “clearly not a deterrent” for those carrying out “criminal acts of uptake of public land and illegal construction”.

Meanwhile, a day later, rangers called ERA and PA officers to a nearby site after observing excavation works at the site of several boathouses further up the coast.

The unit said the work had been stopped and investigations were ongoing, with an enforcement notice being issued to the site.

Speaking to Times of Malta, an MRU spokesperson said illegal construction was happening “a lot” in Natura 2000 sites and called for tougher action on those breaking the law.

“Once an illegality has been detected, it should be blocked for the offender – meaning they should have no access to their illegal building,” the spokesperson said.

Stressing some were knowingly building illegal structures on the assumption they would be able to “enjoy it for some years, even if they have to potentially take it down”, she noted some enforcement notices did not even include a daily fine and called for more coordination between the authorities.

“We’re also asking for the ERA and the PA to work alongside each other. When it’s a Natura 2000 site, there should always be an environmental entity involved as well as the PA to push for the illegality to be removed immediately,” she said.

“These sites are of national importance to our country.”

The Malta Ranger Unit has become a key part of the country’s frontline defence against environmental crime, tackling everything from illegal hunting and unsanctioned construction to out-of-control bonfires.

While not having the power to enforce regulations, they advise, educate and inform the public about how to enjoy and protect outdoor spaces.

Most rangers are volunteers.