Viewpoints

12 Jan 2010

‘Putting heritage on the agenda’, by Petra Bianchi

12 January 2010, Times of Malta Growing numbers of people are conscious of the attractions of the heritage that surrounds us and the positive value it adds to our living environment. This was evident recently in the spontaneous public outcry against the proposed digging up of picturesque old Balluta Square to create a new car park. There are many other examples. Unfortunately,...

09 Jan 2010

A watchdog called Mepa, by Martin Scicluna

Times of Malta, 9th January 2010 The common point of departure in any discussion about the state of the environment in Malta is that Mepa has failed in its role of safeguarding it. This, indeed, lay at the heart of the Prime Minister’s decision, at a critical point in the run-up to the last election, to promise to take Mepa directly...

24 Dec 2009

Responsible, strict bluefin tuna fishery, by George Camilleri

Times of Malta, 24 December 2009 In his letter Responsible, Strict Bluefin Tuna Fishery (December 16), Carmelo Agius is quite right when he says that we approach the issue differently. While we agree that socio-economic implications need to be taken into account when conservation policies are implemented, our roads then diverge. The socio-economic implications of the situation are interesting to contemplate. We should...

12 Dec 2009

Sound planning decisions, by Martin Galea

Times of Malta, 31 December 2009 Two astonishing doc-uments have just been published by Mepa. They were the findings of a board of inquiry into the issue of permits for a supermarket in Luqa and some bungalows in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq. The inquiries were brought about at the insistence of Mepa’s indefatigable auditor, Joe Falzon, and the board of Mepa appointed two...

12 Dec 2009

Bluefin tuna could well become extinct, by George Camilleri

Times of Malta, 12 December 2009 Carmelo Agius of the University of Malta’s Biology Department (December 5) gives the impression that the “extremist” lobby campaigning for a total ban on tuna fishing is being excessively alarmist. ICCAT (the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas) recently introduced measures to counter the downward trend in bluefin tuna stocks, one of which is...

01 Oct 2009

Talk about Quality, by Petra Bianchi

Vigilo magazine, October 2009 Plenty has been said and written about the massive amount of building development that has taken place in Malta over the last three decades or so. According to recent reports, the building frenzy may be easing off slightly, so now let us look around and see what has been...

01 Oct 2009

Problems at il-Majjistral Park, by Martin Galea

Vigilo magazine, October 2009 Two years ago I had reported that an important step to preserve our countryside had been taken. The Government had announced that the area around Xaghra il-Hamra was to be turned into a National Park. This was after consistent lobbying for over three years by Din l-Art Helwa. Perhaps recognizing this, the Government decided that we would...

21 Aug 2009

Practices that endanger fish stocks, by Stanley Farrugia Randon

Times of Malta, Letter to the Editor, 21 August 2009 I read with interest the letter written by Mark Mifsud Bonnici entitled Illegal Fishing Rampant (August 20). Indeed illegal fishing is still rampant despite regulations. Din l-Art Ħelwa has been running a Blue Campaign for the past five years and has often spoken about this practice which is decreasing fish stock...

01 Aug 2009

Plans for Valletta’s City Gate, by Martin Galea

Din l-Art Helwa newsletter, August 2009 Of course any architectural project of scale within Valletta is bound to be controversial. Valletta belongs to us all and we feel deeply about it. Indeed we are united in what we don’t like about Valletta’s City Gate, but not how we want to replace it. In choosing the world-renowned architect Renzo Piano, the government was...

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