Urgent:EU Wild Birds Habitat site for development

[Guest guest]

Dear Birders:

 

Please email the sample letter below to European Commissioner for the

Environment Dr. Stavoras Dimas. Please feel free to compose one of your own

or just copy and paste and email

TO: stavros.dimas

and CC:ghawdex40,arnold.cassola

 

Time of the essence! IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THESE E-MAILS REACH Dr. DIMAS

EARLIER THIS WEEK! Since Dr. Arnold Cassola Secretary General of the EU

Green party is holding a specific meeting with Dr. Dimas concerning Ta'

Cenc.

 

----------------copy and paste from here--------------

Ta'Cenc Special Protected Area Status?

TO: stavros.dimas

CC:ghawdex40,arnold.cassola

 

Dear Dr. Stavoras Dimas,

 

The Ta’Cenc cliff area of Malta is an important bird habitat site for

various species such as the scarce Spectacled Warbler, the Corn Bunting, and

the Blue Rock Thrush and has one of the most impressive colonies of Cory’s

Shearwater in the Maltese islands and the Mediterranean and 150 pairs of

Yelkouan Shearwater, both protected species under the EU's Birds Directive.

There is a small colony of the otherwise elusive Storm Petrel.

 

It is also a breeding site for the Peregrine Falcon (The famous Malta’s

namesake the Maltese Falcon), barn owl and common kestrel. This unique cliff

area is an important bird habitat for the whole region of the Mediterranean.

 

Ta' Cenc is also of archaeological, ecological, historical, geological, and

geomorphologic importance. This site not only includes the l-Imramma

Neolithic Temple, the pre-historic cart ruts, but also is world famous for

its spectacular cliffs that are the natural home of several wildlife species

both flora and fauna.

 

Ta’ Cenc offers interesting biodiversity garigue and rupestral habitats with

several rare and endemic species such as the Maltese rock centaury (Widnet

il-Bahar, Malta's national plant).

 

I would like to ask for your intervention so that the Maltese Government in

particular the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) to finally

take a clear cut decision to appreciate the Ta' Cenc as an area of

outstanding natural beauty, ecological value and archaeological importance.

 

This site must be included as a Special Protected Area Status, forming part

of the Natura 2000 networks and not let this area be developed with hotels,

golf courses and residential villas for the wealthy few and excludes the

hundreds of thousands of local population and birders alike.

 

If any further development were allowed this would destroy the biodiversity

of the site and would be lost forever to our EU citizens enjoyment and the

world.

 

Thank you for your attention,

 

Yours truly,

 

Sign your name and address.

 

---------------------------to here-----------------------

Photo:-The impressive cliffs at Ta' Cenc.

http://timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=183780 & hilite=cliffs

 

MALTESE GOVERNMENT EXCLUDES TA' CENC FROM PROTECTED DESIGNATED AREAS LIST

 

The Maltese Government has not included in its lists to the European Union

the Ta' Cenc site as a special protected area designated under the " Wild

Birds Directive " and the " Habitats Directive " . This has been confirmed by EU

Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas in his letter to Alternattiva

Demokratika (AD) Spokesperson for Gozo, Mr. Victor Galea.

 

The AD Gozo Regional Committee wrote directly to the EU Environmental

Policies and Priorities Commissioner Stavros Dimas earlier this year in

order to request the Maltese Government in particular the MEPA in explaining

to the general public their decision in not bestowing the ecological,

historical, geological, archaeological and geomorphologic importance of Ta'

Cenc with Special Protected Area Status, thereby excluding the latter from

forming part of the Natura 2000 networks, when all reports conducted on this

area by independent bodies such as the University of Malta and other

universities in the EU and worldwide have suggested otherwise.

 

Mr. Galea said: " It is absolutely unacceptable that the Ta' Cenc site, home

to various birds, endemic species and historical remains, has not been

included in the list. Ta' Cenc is a place of unique importance, not only

because of its special bio-diversity but also because the natural beauty of

the place -with its unique diversity- is a source of attraction for Maltese

and foreign tourists and thus a source of much needed income for the Maltese

economy " .

 

In his comments Prof. Arnold Cassola, AD Spokesperson on EU affairs and

Secretary General of the European Green Party, said: " The behaviour of the

Maltese government is irresponsible. The message sent out is that the

Maltese government does not care about safeguarding Gozo's unique heritage.

I shall try to raise the issue of Ta' Cenc directly with Commissioner Dimas,

who has promised that should the Commission services identify the need to

designate further sites in the Maltese archipelago, the Commission will

raise the issue with the Maltese authorities " .

--

Call for Ta' Cenc to be protected

 

http://timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=183780 & hilite=cliffs

 

Photo:-The impressive cliffs at Ta' Cenc.

 

BirdLife Malta is seriously concerned at what is says is the increasing

threat of new and extensive development at Ta' Cenc in Gozo and has appealed

to the authorities to give urgent protection to this ecologically important

site.

 

The environmental organisation said the proposed developments include

extensions of a hotel, residential areas as well as a golf course.

 

It described Ta' Cenc as an area of outstanding natural beauty, ecological

value and archaeological importance, saying it would be a major loss for the

Maltese if any further development were allowed because this would

impoverish the biodiversity of the site.

 

The cliffs boast the highest sheer drop of any cliffs on the islands,

reaching an altitude of 135 metres above sea level.

 

According to EU criteria, Ta' Cenc figures as one of 12 important bird areas

that should be afforded special protection. It has a large breeding colony

of Cory's Shearwaters, numbering about 1,000 pairs, and over 150 pairs of

Yelkouan Shearwater, both protected species under the EU's Birds Directive.

 

The cliffs hold a small colony of Storm Petrels and eight to 10 breeding

pairs of Malta's national bird, the Blue Rock Thrush (Merill). It is also a

breeding site for Peregrine Falcon, barn owl and common kestrel.

 

Furthermore, it holds a unique flora with several endemic plants that

include the Maltese rock centaury (Widnet il-Bahar), Malta's national plant.

 

The garigue habitat is also important, both from a botanical aspect as well

as for its avifauna, being one of the remaining breeding areas for

Short-toed Lark, Spectacled Warbler and Corn Bunting, among other species.

The garigue is frequented by numerous species of migratory and wintering

birds.

 

Only a small part of Ta' Cenc is a protected area where no hunting or

trapping is allowed, BirdLife said. The whole area including the cliffs and

the surrounding garigue areas should be protected as a national nature

reserve due to its outstanding ecological value.