More than 90 tonnes of invasive alien plants and trees have been cleared from sites across Malta this year, the Environment Ministry said on Saturday as it unveiled a new strategy for clearing invasive species.
“In 2020 alone, the ministry cleared around 93 tonnes of invasive alien species from l-Irdum tal-Madonna, l-Aħrax tal-Mellieħa, and two tonnes from Wied Għollieqa, Pembroke, and Marsaxlokk,” it said.
Alien species are plants that are not native to Malta. Although not all are problematic, some are invasive and cause significant harm to local biodiversity. Common invasive species include the ubiquitous prickly pear, the acacia tree and fountain grass.
The Environment and Resources Authority has now launched a national strategy for preventing and mitigating the impact of invasive alien species in Malta.
The strategy proposes coordinated processes to cooperate on:
- The prevention of species which could cause harm to our environment;
- Evaluation of risks;
- Early identification;
- Timely response;
- Other initiatives which need to be taken into account for effective follow-up management as necessary.
ERA CEO Michelle Piccinino said the strategy would raise awareness on invasive alien species and the risk they pose, as well as to create measures to address their impacts.
Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia praised ERA for its work on the strategy, which would help refine national goals when it came to protecting the environment.
“But this is not enough; we must now work together to ensure collective implementation to effectively safeguard our environment,” he said.