Fis-sajf li għadu kif għadda, residenti ta’ San Pawl il-Baħar u żoni tal-madwar ilmentaw dwar żieda sinifikanti fit-tniġġis fil-baħar, b’ammonti kbar ta’ ħmieġ u residwi marbuta mal-irziezet tat-tonn li jinsabu fil-qrib. Il-problema kienet partikolarment gravi f’nofs Awwissu, meta l-baħar taż-żona sar impossibbli biex wieħed jgħum fih minħabba t-tniġġis evidenti.
ADPD qalet li dan huwa eżempju ċar ta’ nuqqas ta’ kontroll u ta’ nuqqas ta’ trasparenza mill-awtoritajiet li għandhom d-dmir li jħarsu l-ambjent marittimu ta’ Malta.
Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party, Sandra Gauci, li hija wkoll Kunsilliera f’San Pawl il-Baħar, ikkundannat b’mod qawwi n-nuqqas ta’ trasparenza tal-Awtorità għall-Ambjent u r-Riżorsi (ERA) fir-rigward tal-moniteraġġ relatat mat-tniġġis li sar mill-irżieżet tat-tonn barra minn San Pawl il-Baħar.
Il-kummenti ta’ Gauci ġew wara li talbet kopji tar-rapporti ta’ moniteraġġ li suppost sar fuq l-impatt ambjentali ta’ dawn l-irziezet. Madankollu, l-ERA wieġbet biss b’lista ġenerika ta’ meta saru xi moniteraġġi, mingħajr ma pprovdiet ebda dettalji jew rapporti konkreti ta’ dak li rriżulta fl-ispezzjonijiet li suppost saru.
“Prattikament, il-famużi rapporti – jekk qatt saru – se jibqgħu mistura għall-pubbliku. Dan huwa mod dilettantesk kif timxi entità li suppost qiegħda hemm sabiex tissalvagwardja l-ambjent. Iktar donnha ħsiebha tara kif se tgħatti u tipproteġi reati ambjentali,” qalet Gauci.
Gauci żiedet tgħid li, li tintbgħat email ġenerika mingħajr ebda informazzjoni speċifika dwar il-moniteraġġ “huwa insult għalina li nħallsu t-taxxi u nippretendu kontabbiltà u trasparenza.” Mhux il-politiċi biss għandhom l-obbligu li jkunu trasparenti. Anke l-awtoritajiet li nsostnu bit-taxxi li nħallsu għandhom dan l-obbligu.
Gauci appellat biex il-pubbliku jingħata aċċess immedjat għall-istudji tal-kwalità tal-ilma li kellhom isiru matul is-sajf u li kienu mwiegħda minn Charlon Gouder, rappreżentant tas-settur. “Nispera li dawn l-istudji juru stampa aktar ċara, bla ma jkunu aktar daħk fil-wiċċ,” żiedet tgħid.
“Jekk dan hu l-mod kif timxi l-ERA ma’ min iħammeġ l-ibħra tagħna, allura jista’ jkun aħjar li din l-entità tiġi żarmata u niffrankaw li nħallsu lill-pupazzi li flok jgħassu, jostru l-abbuż,” temmet Gauci.
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ADPD – The Green Party condemns ERA’s lack of transparency in connection with the pollution from the tuna pens in St Pauls Bay.
Last summer, residents of St Paul’s Bay and the surrounding areas complained about the significant increase in sea pollution, noting copious amounts of detritus and slime in connection with the nearby tuna pens. The problem was particularly serious mid-August, when the sea in the area was unfit for bathing due to the pollution.
ADPD-The Green Party said that this is a clear example of a lack of management and a lack of transparency from the authorities that are duty-bound to protect Malta’s maritime environment.
ADPD-The Green Party Chairperson, Sandra Gauci, who is also a local councillor in St Paul’s Bay, condemned the lack of transparency of the Environment & Resources Authority (ERA) in connection with the monitoring of the waste from the tuna pens in St Paul’s Bay.
Gauci’s comments came after she asked for copies of reports of the monitoring expected on these fish farms. However, ERA replied with a very generic list of when and how this monitoring occurs, without producing any further detail or concrete reports.
“In actual fact, these famous reports, if they have ever been compiled, will remain unavailable to the public. This is very amateurish for an entity that is supposed to protect the environment. This authority is more concerned with covering up the truth about environmental crime,” said Gauci.
She added that sending generic emails without any specific information regarding the monitoring is “an insult to us taxpayers who demand accountability and transparency.” It is not only politicians who should be accountable and transparent. Even public authorities have this duty, since they are supposed to serve the public.
Gauci appealed for the public to be given immediate access to studies about the quality of the sea water, which were supposedly carried out over last summer, and which were promised by Charlon Gouder, a representative of the sector. “I hope that these studies give us a clearer picture of things, and not a waste of the public’s time,” Gauci added.
“If this is how ERA works with those who pollute our seas, then it is time for this entity to shut down its operations and save taxpayers the expense of paying those who are supposedly entrusted with watching out, but in reality are really covering up this abuse,” concluded Gauci.
