Natura 2000
The Environment Ministry yesterday announced that three new areas have been designated to form part of the European Union’s Natura 2000 network - Tal-Wej, in the limits of Mosta; Ħas-Saptan, within the limits of Birżebbuga and Wied il-Mielaħ, situated in the limits of l-Għarb, Gozo. In addition, l-Għadira s-Safra (pictured above), an existing Natura 2000 site, has been extended to cover further elements of ecological importance.
Three new areas have been designated to form part of the European Union’s Natura 2000 network, the Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning Aaron Farrugia announced on Friday morning.
The announcement was made on World Environment Day. The areas will be added to the 34 terrestrial Natura 2000 sites already in the Maltese Islands.
“Our commitment is to protect and conserve these sites, to protect key habitats and species and to ensure their conservation for future generations,” he said. He stressed that the environment is key to a better quality of life and that citizens should be granted more recreational spaces and have the opportunity to fully appreciate and enjoy such sites.
The new Natura 2000 sites are; Tal-Wej, in the limits of Mosta; Ħas-Saptan, within the limits of Birżebbuga and Wied il-Mielaħ, situated in the limits of l-Għarb, Gozo.
These sites have now also been designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). Wied ilMielaħ has also now been declared as a Special Protection Area (SPA). Furthermore, lGħadira s-Safra, an existing Natura 2000 site, has been extended to cover further elements of ecological importance.
Both Tal-Wej and the Ħas-Saptan areas were designated due to the presence of temporary freshwater rockpools, which are rare in the Maltese Islands. Freshwater rockpools support unique communities, with species like the Maltese Horned Pondweed, unique to Malta in the world; and Maltese Waterwort, a species confined to the Maltese Islands and the nearby Pelagian Islands (Italy) in the world. These pools also support populations of the otherwise very rare Tadpole Shrimp.
Wied il-Mielaħ, known mostly for its geology and It-Tieqa, was designated due to the presence of typical coastal plant communities and its cliffs, which also house important breeding and nesting areas of seabirds, particularly the Yelkouan and Scopoli’s Shearwaters. The site is also designated as a SPA.
The boundary of the already established Natura 2000 site lGħadira s-Safra was extended both landward and seaward. This new designation incorporates the area which was rehabilitated by ERA in 2017 following the removal of the redundant coast road, as well as the rocky shoal, known as lIskoll tal-Għallis, which lies offshore to l-Għadira s-Safra and which is of significant importance to a variety of coastal maritime species and birds.
ERA also issued a Conservation Order and Protection Notice to geological features in the area of Ta’ Lanzun at Tal-Mensija, within the limits of San Ġwann. This area is now listed as a Special Area of Geological Importance and addresses a subsidence structure, known as a doline, similar to the more famous IlMaqluba.