Six months since rangers sounded the alarm over an "illegal" garden on protected Armier land, the authorities are yet to act, the Malta Ranger Unit (MRU) complained on Thursday.
The garden - which is connected to a sanctioned boathouse on Natura 2000 land in Armier - made headlines in June after authorities were called to the site to halt illegal building works.
Despite the construction illegality being removed by August, the garden and its fence were left in place, the rangers said in a Facebook statement.
While the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) - responsible for Natura 2000 sites – told the rangers the case had been referred to the Lands Authority, the latter had “ignored" repeated calls for updates despite several reminders, the MRU said.
“The occupants are still blocking the land with a fence and expanding their garden – land that doesn't belong to the occupants but to the public,” the unit said while urging ERA to put pressure on the Lands Authority.
"Our public Natura 2000 sites are not to be used as private gardens, hijacked by individuals."
According to the PA enforcement notice for the site, the contravener Naser Alshalsh’s “unauthorised development” comprises a boathouse complete with a front parapet and a courtyard marked by a separating wall.
Alshalsh also built a wooden structure and a retaining wall, and installed a wooden fence and gate, with daily fines payable for the contraventions.
When contacted, a spokesperson for the MRU said Alshalsh had also installed floodlights and planted flora at the site.
Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas across the EU where development is strictly controlled, and wild plants and animals are also protected.
The spokesperson said that while the plot of land might seem like a small infraction, “nobody should just put up a fence on public land”. They questioned why ERA did not appear to be pressuring the Lands Authority to act.
Stressing that taking up public land without approval was “illegal”, the MRU reiterated its call for the two authorities to work together to combat such illegalities.
This is not the first time the rangers have called for greater cooperation between government authorities: in June the unit called for ERA and the PA to work together more closely to remove illegal buildings immediately.
Explaining the extent of the problem at the time, a spokesperson for the unit said offenders should be blocked from accessing their illegal property as soon as it is detected, adding such crimes were happening “a lot” in Natura 2000 sites, with contraveners often able to enjoy illegalities “for some years” before action was taken.
The MRU 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.
Questions were sent to the Lands Authority and ERA.