A third of fines by the environmental watchdog in the past two years were issued for the uprooting of trees, official figures show.
The Environment and Resources Authority told Times of Malta that between 2019 and September this year it had dished out more than €720,000 in fines for a number of environmental crimes and other offences.
Nearly €275,000 of these related to trees, making up the largest proportion of fines dished out by the entity.
The remaining fines are related to a variety of environmental offences, ranging from criminal acts to minor misdemeanours.
However, a spokesperson for the ERA did not provide further information.
The government has come under scathing criticism for the way it has uprooted trees in the last few years, especially since the announcement of the Central Link roadworks project, which saw dozens of trees pulled out.
When the plans for the project were published it was revealed that trees which lined the road between Attard and Rabat would be torn down to make way for new asphalting.
This was met with opposition by both environmentalists and residents.
However, the government still steamed ahead with the project. In March, activists also blocked the uprooting of centuries-old trees in Dingli.
Last month, the ERA announced it had issued a whopping €100,000 fine for the uprooting of trees at Ta’ Qali.
Although the authority did not say who had been fined, Times of Malta subsequently reported it was the government that had been sanctioned.
Ian Borg’s Transport Ministry is set to appeal the fine for the uprooting of several trees, without a permit, to develop an open-air concert venue in Ta’ Qali.
ERA has since ordered that some 675 trees be planted at the site as compensation along with the hefty fine.
Meanwhile, sources within the ERA said most fines issued by the authority are footed by the taxpayer with state entities such as Infrastructure Malta and Transport Malta both regularly facing reprimand.
The ERA spokesman, however, did not provide a breakdown of who was slapped with fines.
He said: “a further breakdown of information as requested cannot be disclosed in view that fines may be sub judice and therefore it would be premature to comment”.
Earlier this year, Borg’s ministry hit back at claims it was axing down the country’s trees, saying works agency Infrastructure Malta had planted more than 50,000 trees across the country in the past two years.