Fl-2015, l-ambjent taħt assedju. Fl-2016 l-assedju ikompli.

 

Is-sena 2015 kienet waħda li fiha l-ambjent kien taħt assedju. Assedju li bla dubju ser jintensifika ruħu matul is-sena d-dieħla. Għax ma hemm l-ebda dubju li l-aġenda tal-Labour hi waħda kontra l-ambjent.

Bla dubju mument importanti fl-2015 kien ir-referendum abrogattiv dwar il-kaċċa fir-rebbiegħa. Referendum li intilef bi sbrixx imma li xorta wassal messaġġ qawwi, prinċipalment minħabba li huwa riżultat li nkiseb minkejja li kemm il-PN kif ukoll il-PL dejjem appoġġaw il-kaċċa fir-rebbiegħa.

Wara spikka il-każ taż-Żonqor li wassal għal dimostrazzjoni kbira ġol-Belt. Iktar tard il-Gvern ipprova jagħti l-impressjoni li kien qed jagħti kaz u dan billi ċċaqlaq ftit.

Il-qagħda tat-trasport pubbliku matul l-2015 tjibiet ftit imma għadha lura ħafna minn dak li jixraqlu u għandu bżonn dan il-pajjiż. Hi l-unika tama li tista’ tnaqqas il-pressjoni taż-żieda tal-karozzi fit-toroq. Hi l-unika tama għal titjib fil-kwalità tal-arja. Inutli jwaħħlu fil-ħinijiet tal-ftuħ tal-iskejjel.

Matul l-2015 l-ilma tax-xita flok ma jinġabar fi bjar li qatt ma saru, baqa’ jintefa’ fit-toroq. Issa li x-xogħol fuq il-mini taħt l-art ġie konkluż il-periklu fit-toroq ser jonqos għax il-parti l-kbira tal-ilma ser jispiċċa l-baħar. Il-flus li intefqgħu fuq dawn il-mini kienu fil-parti l-kbira tagħhom flus moħlija. Kien ikun iktar għaqli kieku intefqgħu biex l-ilma jinġabar flok biex jintrema.

F’nofs dawn l-aħbarijiet negattivi kollha ġiet ippubblikata l-enċiklika ambjentali tal-Papa Franġisku. Fiha tinħass sewwa t-togħma Latino-Amerikana ta’ Leonardo Boff li tenfasizza r-rabta bejn il-faqar u t-tħassir ambjentali. Hemm tama li din l-enċiklika tista’ tkun ta’ siwi biex iktar nies jiftħu għajnejhom.

F’Ġunju l-Kap tal-Opposizzjoni qalilna li l-PN fil-Gvern għamel diversi żbalji ambjentali u li jixtieq li jibda paġna ġdida. Din id-dikjarazzjoni ta’ Busuttil tikkuntrasta ma dak li ntqal fir-rapport tal-PN dwar it-telfa fejn ġie emfasizzat li l-PN kien vittma ta’ sabutaġġ minn dawk maħtura biex imexxu (inkluż ovvjament mill-MEPA).

Il-battalja tat-torrijiet għadha magħna. Preżentement hemm pendenti żewġ applikazzjonijiet f’tas-Sliema, waħda f’Townsquare (38 sular) u oħra f’Fort Cambridge (40 sular). Ir-residenti, li bħal dejjem jispiċċaw iġorru l-konsegwenzi ta’ dawn id-deċiżjonijiet, huma injorati.

Kellna t-tniġġiż fil-baħar. Diversi inċidenti fil-Port ta’ Marsaxlokk li bihom ġie ikkonfermat, jekk qatt kien hemm ħtieġa ta’ dan, li l-Bajja s-Sabiħa m’għandhiex iktar sabiħa. Dan minħabba li issa l-port sar definittivament wieħed industrijali. L-unika ħaġa li jonqos huwa t-tanker sorġut b’mod permanenti fil-port biex fih jinħażen il-gass.

Nhar is-Sibt jorħos il-prezz tal-petrol u d-diesel. Għal uħud imissu ilu li raħas. Forsi kien ikun aħjar li ma raħas xejn. Hemm bżonn kull mezz possibli biex jonqsu l-karozzi mit-toroq. Il-prezz tal-fuel hu wieħed minn diversi miżuri li jekk użati bil-għaqal jistgħu jagħtu frott. Il-problema imma, sfortunatament hi li ma hemmx volontà politika.

IL-MEPA ser tinqasam. L-ippjanar għalih u l-ambjent għalih. Mhux ser isir wisq ġid b’din il-miżura għax is-saħħa amministrattiva li għandu pajjiż żgħir ġejja miċ-ċokon tiegħu. Meta taqsam l-awtorita f’biċċiet tkun ferm inqas effettiv. Hekk ser jiġri. Il-MEPA ma kienitx qed taħdem sewwa għax ma ħallewiex taħdem sewwa. Għax kienet imxekkla minn bordijiet li jew ma jifhmux inkella b’aġenda moħbija.

Dan hu l-wirt li s-sena 2015 ser tħalli lis-sena 2016. L-unika ħaġa pożittiva hi li bil-mod qed tiżviluppa kuxjenza ambjentali fost il-ġenerazzjonijiet li tielgħin.

Is-sena t-tajba? Forsi.

Kif qalilna Joseph

………… nivvutaw favur l-ottimiżmu u kontra n-negattività.

Favur l-ottimiżmu  għax favur il-ħajja fir-rebbiegħa. Għax ir-rebbiegħa hu ż-żmien meta l-ħajja titkattar. Favur l-ottimiżmu għax aħna determinati li nipproteġu l-ħajja. Favur l-ottimiżmu għax nipproteġu l-għasafar meta huma l-iktar dgħajfa, fiż-żmien li jbejtu.

Kontra n-neġattività għax kontra l-qerda tan-natura fir-rebbiegħa. Għax fir-rebbiegħa niċċelebraw il-ħajja mhux il-qtil. Kontra n-negattività għax kontra t-theddid u l-insulti ta’ min li għax armat bis-senter jaħseb li jista’ jagħmel li jrid.

Mela nhar is-Sibt kif qal Joseph nivvutaw favur l-ottimiżmu u kontra n-negattività. Favur l-għasafar u kontra l-kaċċa fir-rebbiegħa. Nivvutaw LE.

Il-mistoqsija tal 11 t’April

Il-mistoqsija li ser ikollna quddiemna fir-referendum abrogattiv hija importanti. Għax meta ngħidu IVA jew LE dan ser ngħiduh bi tweġiba għall-mistoqsija li jkollna quddiemna.

Il-mistoqsija li ser inwieġbu hi din :

Bil-Malti

Taqbel illi d-dispożizzjonijiet tar-“Regolamenti dwar Qafas biex Tiġi Permessa Deroga li Tiftah l-Istaġun għall-Kaċċa tal-Gamiem u tas-Summien fir-Rebbiegħa” (Leġislazzjoni Sussidjarja 504.94) għandhom jibqgħu fis-seħħ?

Bl-Ingliz

Do you agree that the provisions of the “Framework for Allowing a Derogation Opening a Spring Hunting Season for Turtle Dove and Quail Regulations” (Subsidiary Legislation 504.94) should continue in force?

 

Id-dokument tal-vot ikun fih din il-mistoqsija (kemm bil-Malti kif ukoll bl-Ingliz) u mbagħad taħt il-mistoqsija ikun hemm iz-zewġ kaxxi kif jidher hawn fuq : waħda bl-isfar fejn tivvota IVA/YES u l-oħra bil-kannella fejn tivvota LE/NO.

Il-mistoqsija hi waħda ċara. Tistaqsina jekk naqblux jew le mar-regolamenti li jippermettu li jkun hawn kaċċa fir-rebbiegħa. Min jaqbel li l-kaċċa fir-rebbiegħa tibqa’ jivvota IVA u min ma jaqbilx  jivvota LE.

The bullying continues

 

Earlier this week the Ornis Committee recommended that the next spring hunting season should be opened. The government  obliged on  Thursday by declaring that, subject to the result of the abrogative referendum, the spring  hunting season for turtle dove and quail will open on Tuesday 14 April and will close on Thursday 30 April.

The Ornis Committee is appointed by the government in terms of regulation 10(2) of the Conservation of Wild Birds Regulations. Its role is one of advising the Minister for the Environment on various aspects relative to the implementation of the regulations.

The Ornis Committee decided to recommend in favour of the opening of the spring hunting season by three votes in favour with a solitary vote against. The hunters’ representatives on the Ornis Committee voted in favour, whilst those from Birdlife voted against the opening of the spring hunting season. The additional support for spring hunting came from two “independent” members appointed by the government on the Ornis Committee. The chairman and the MEPA representative both  abstained from voting.

Why all this fuss?

It is because on the eve of an abrogative referendum the recommendation is unethical. In addition, it flies straight in the face of scientific evidence which, without a shadow of doubt, proves (if any such proof was ever required)  that the hunting of turtle dove and quail in spring is unsustainable.

The evidence comes from official reports released by the Ministry for Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change, confirming that both quail and turtle dove numbers are at an all time low across Europe. The reports further show that the numbers of quail migrating over Malta are actually higher in autumn than in spring, negating two common arguments made use of by those lobbing in favour of  spring hunting.

The official report compiled by the Wild Birds Regulation Unit on the conservation status of quail and turtle dove gives the most recent data on the two species, showing that the turtle dove have even declined again in recent years. A decrease of a further three per cent since 2012 brings the total reduction in their European population to 77% since 1980.

This report confirms that both quail and turtle dove are in decline across Europe, with their numbers at an all time low. It therefore doesn’t make sense to shoot them in spring when they are on their way to breed, as their numbers don’t get a chance to recover.

Malta is the only country in Europe to shoot migrating turtle dove and quail on their way to breed … and this just for pleasure. Official scientific reports now make it clear that these species are in trouble across Europe and we need to give them a chance. There is no justification for spring hunting

A second report, with the results of a government commissioned study on the migration of turtle dove and quail during the autumn 2014 hunting season, was published on 2 March. One of the arguments for spring shooting is that hunters claim not enough of the birds pass over Malta in autumn for them to shoot. Yet the independent study shows that more quail actually migrate through Malta during the autumn season than in spring.

This scientific study concludes that the numbers of quail flying over Malta during the autumn hunting season are actually higher than in spring, completely undermining one of the hunters’ arguments for a spring hunting season.

The report concluded that 45,683 quail and 7,956 turtle dove migrated over Malta during September and October 2014, during an autumn hunting season.  In spring, hunters are allowed to shoot a total of 16,000 of both species combined because they have argued that they do not have enough birds to shoot in autumn.

Faced with this scientific evidence, which confirms what we have known all along, the recommendation of the Ornis Committee does not make sense. It can only be interpreted as a last stand of defiance. Hunting sympathisers still believe that they can bully their way through.

Voters have only one way of stopping this bullying: voting NO on 11 April.

 

published in The Malta Independent on Sunday 15 March 2015

Ir-referendum abrogattiv: il-ġirja sal-barkun

 

Il-Malta Today tal-lum kompliet tagħti serviżż  dwar ir-referendum abrogattiv. Illum spjegat f’iktar dettall is-sondaġġ ippubblikat fi tmiem il-ġimgħa.

Is-sondaġġ huwa ritratt li hu validu fil-mument li ittieħed. Jiġifieri bħalissa l-votanti qed jaħsbuha b’dak il-mod li ġie rappurtat.

Illum jidher li fil-pajjiż hemm distakk ta’ madwar 7%, bil-maġġoranza ta’ dawk li esprimew ruħhom jiddikjaraw li ma jaqblux mal-kaċċa fir-rebbiegħa.

Tajjeb li nżommu quddiem għajnejna li din mhux l-aħħar kelma. Għax għad hemm persentaġġ mhux żgħir ta’ votanti li qalu li għadhom ma iddeċidewx jekk hux ser jivvutaw jew le. Dawn jistgħu eventwalment verament ma jivvutawx, inkella jista’ jkun li wara kollox jiddeċiedu li dakinnhar imorru u jixħtu l-vot tagħhom favur naħa jew oħra. Għad baqa’ 38 ġurnata sa ma nivvutaw.

Il-ġirja sal-barkun! Għad baqa’ ħafna xogħol xi jsir sal-11 t’April biex inwasslu l-messaġġ favur l-għasafar u d-dritt ta’ aċċess għall-kampanja.

Il-gwerra tal-FKNK

 

Mela l-FKNK qaltilna li din hi gwerra. Ir-referendum, jiġifieri.

Damu ma ndunaw li din hi gwerra biex tieqaf il-qerda tal-għasafar. Hi gwerra li aħna tal-LE niġġielduha bil-ħsieb, mhux bis-senter. Bir-raġuni mhux bil-ġlied, l-insulti u t-tgħajjir.

Nhar il-11 t’April ser ngħidu LE għall-kaċċa fir-rebbiegħa. LE għall-qerda. LE għall-gwerra kontra n-natura.

L-FKNK iridu gwerra li teqred. Hi l-opportunita biex ngħidulhom LE, għax fir-rebbiegħa aħna irridu s-sliem. Irridu ngawdu l-kampanja ………………. u mela gwerra.