Car Ownership Increase in the Maltese Islands

Problem narrative

“If all the vehicles were placed in a straight line, it would stretch for over a thousand kilometers, more than the distance from Malta to Athens”. (Structure Plan Team, 2002)

According to the National Statistics Office the number of cars in Malta has exploded during the last forty years. Back in 1960 there were only 12,000 cars on the road. Nowadays the 300,347 cars occupy over two million square meters of land, generate tons of toxic emissions a year, kill tens of people, consume millions of gallons of fuel, discharge oil into deep water wells, and ultimately end in scrap yards. This constitutes a big problem when considering that Malta has one of the highest population densities of the world (1,250 inhabitants/km2 which is always increasing) and more than 23% of the surface is being built-up. This increase in motor vehicles is bringing further intensive constrains on the remaining resources including, water and land (NSO, 2010).

Behavior over time/reference modes:

Personal and commercial vehicles have increased in accordance with the increase in household income and a lowering in car costs. Increasing number of households, increasing number of young people holding a driving licence, and the lack of any alternative, have all fostered a Maltese society that embraces and aspires to car ownership(as seen in fig. 1 and 2). Walking still remains a chosen means of transport. Many bus users have transferred to car use over the past ten years, since little or no investment in this public sector has been made. Cycling and motorbikes are both popular for sport and leisure but they constitute a very low proportion of total daily trips. Considering Malta’s topography and climate for most of the year, this low usage probably reflects the evolving car culture, the poor condition of many roads, and the nature of the driving. Finally one should note that car ownership in Malta is not solely seen as a means of transport, but it offers freedom and is seen as a status symbol (MEPA, 2003).

Source: MEPA 2003

Source: NSO, 2010

Policies:

In 1989 The Malta Planning Authority (today MEPA) was set up and in 1990 it issued a Structure Plan Strategy for the Maltese Islands where it tackled the increase in car ownership in Malta. It is apparent that until recently there has been a lack of vision in the country concerning transport. Several attempts have been made over the past decade to set up a Transport Co-ordinating Committee with the main controversy being to whom the committee should report. However the most recent move towards coordinating transport matters came about in August 2000 when the amended Public Transport Act was published. Subsequently the Malta Transport Authority was set up in June 2001. This legislation brought together the four directorates of Roads, Public Transport, Licensing and Testing, and Traffic Management under this authority, thus solving the problem of decision making. The Transport Policy Whitepaper on Sustainable Land Transport was issued in 2003 to promote a sustainable mode of transport. However, there is still a lack of vision in the country concerning this issue. Following EU accession (1st May 2004) the MTA took part in 6th Framework Programme and other EU funded programmes such as COST and CORDIS, and is involved in elaborating the Structure Plan Review (EU CORDIS, 2009).

Study Purpose:

The purpose of this study is to understand the dynamics involved in the fast rate of increase of car ownership, and propose solutions. Targets related to the objectives should be thus set while policies have to be issued to meet them. This strategy is to support and contribute to the Government’s long-term objectives and help promote more sustainable development. Data gathered during studies can be inputted in a computer Transport Model to predict changes in vehicle ownership and number of journeys.

Questions that the study will address include:

Why should citizens choose public rather than private modes of transport? Which of the two modes is more feasible? How can public transport be made more efficient? How can traffic be reduced? Can investing in motorbikes reduce car ownership? Are there any other true options apart from using private cars (is walking or cycling really an option considering the amount of pollution in urban areas and the high risk of fatal accidents)? Are electric cars a possible solution? Is car pooling an option, and if so how can this be encouraged? Are road networks good enough (especially in mostly urbanized areas)? How can MEPA encourage more parking space? Where can Park and Ride schemes complement a reorganized public transport system? How can people be kept informed, educated and involved?


Reference:

MEPA, 2003: Transport Topic Paper 2003
Available online: http://www.mepa.org.mt/lpg-structureplanreview
[Accessed on 20th Jan 2009]

MEPA, 2003: Transport Executive Summary 2003
Available online: http://www.mepa.org.mt/lpg-structureplanreview
[Accessed on 20th Jan 2009]

NSO, 2010: Motor Vehicles: Q4/2009
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
Available online: http://www.nso.gov.mt/statdoc/document_file.aspx?id=2669
[Accessed on 20th Jan 2009]


EU CORDIS, 2009: European project development - energy and environment
Available online: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp6/dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=UserSite.FP6HomePage
[Accessed on 20th Jan 2009]

Structure Plan Team, 2002: Placing People First! Times of Malta
Available online: http://www.mepa.org.mt/news-details?id=274
[Accessed on 20th Jan 2009]

Loving Dolphins to the Bone !!!

Fig 1: Casual Loop Diagram showing dolphin slaughtering situation in Taiji

The Asian town of Taiji, Japan (Fig. 2), has recently become the focus of the International Media. Taiji is a small coastal town in the central southern part of mainland Japan, home town of Flipper (the dolphin series on TV). This town was primarily known as a whaling town. In fact, Japanese traditional whaling techniques were dramatically developed here in the 17th century. The commercial hunting of dolphins remains a major source of income for its residents. Taiji has a population of 3,444 people with a substantial number of people engaged in dolphin meat business. The major problem in this area seems to be that of slaughtering hundreds of dolphins and whales for money – a billion dollar business. In fact Taiji today is the largest dolphin slaughter area in the world (O’Barry H., 2010)

Fig.2 Map of Taiji: Japan

Source: Google Earth

Usually, the hunting season begins on Sept. 1st, lasting through March. According to Rich O’ Barry, leader of the Save Japan Dolphins Coalition Team and ex-personal trainer of Flipper, no captures or slaughter took place during the time they where there observing and trying to film these cruel scenarios (Fig. 3). According to Brian and his team much has changed since 2003 when they first started working on safeguarding mammals in Japan. Back then, dangerous confrontations with the Japanese dolphin hunters were common. Team members were frequently assaulted and opposition was very strong.

Unfortunately, once the team left Taiji, reports surfaced that boats proceeded to capture “about 100” bottlenose dolphins and 50 pilot whales. A representative of the Taiji Town Council indicated that some of the live bottlenose dolphins would be retained to sell on the world market to aquariums. Activists found out that many fishermen and their families would like to cooperate and bring to end this macabre business but on the other hand still defending their tradition of hunting, equating it to cow slaughtering in the Western world. Other citizens stipulated that although consuming dolphin and whale meat regularly they were unaware of what dolphin hunting involved. It seems that the government made its utmost to hide the truth about this business.(O’Barry, R. 2009)

Fig. 3: Dolphin slaughtering in The Cove
Source: http://advocacy.britannica.com/blog/advocacy/2009/04/dolphin-slaughter-in-japan/

The only policy available seems to be that related to the starting and ending of dolphin fishing season. Two to three thousand dolphins are approximately killed during the dolphin-hunting season (Fig.4). At the moment political discussions are considering to formulate and implement a no-slaughter policy. But it is not clear yet whether Taiji will agree to abide by it. Reports indicate that the initiation of a new “no-slaughter” policy in response to intense international pressure is no easy task as traditional dolphin hunt glorifies the dolphin slaughter. In fact this creates a positive image where the same fishermen, carrying out courageous deeds, are depicted as the saviours of their communities. So while the dolphin hunters hide behind “tradition,” their modern dolphin killing machine marches on.

As depicted in the award-winning documentary The Cove (available online http://thecovemovie.com/), the Japanese fishing authority issues approximately 23,000 permits annually to fishermen around its shores and Taiji alone, slaughters 1,500 or more dolphins annually. The demand for this industry is further increasing by the many aquariums and swim-with-dolphins programs. All this leads to an unprecedented increase in the number of dolphins killed which undoubtedly endangers the species. (Jefftego, 2009)

Sadly, dolphins are still being hunted and killed in large numbers in Taiji, regardless of the no-slaughter policies issued (Fig. 4). The latter were nothing but a strategic short-term publicity stunt, aimed at reassuring and alienating the international media that bottlenose dolphins would no longer be killed, whilst stakeholders persisted in this prosperous business.

Ironically, according to several laboratories test carried out by the Coalition Team it was proofed that the dolphin meat sold to an unsuspecting Japanese public is poisoned, contaminated with mercury, methyl-mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other toxins that accumulate up the food chain. It is only a matter of time before the Japanese public realizes that the dolphin hunters, supported by their government, have been selling them poison to eat. Fortunately enough today Japan has a new Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Food Safety, Ms. Mizuho Fukushima who recognizes such danger and so has agreed to investigate the mercury issue in dolphin meat and their distribution in retail outlets. (O'Barry, R. 2009)

Fig 4. Slaughtered dolphins at Taiji open market
Source: http://octaveonline.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/dols1.jpg

In conclusion, it is clear that money is the driving force of such a scenario. As illustrated in Fig 1, the Japanese government and locals act greedily to increase the GDP and satisfy their traditional beliefs. They do not take into consideration that fishing methods have changed drastically in the last decades and fishing that was done sustainably some time ago is now being practiced uncontrollably. The Japanese government keeps issuing hundreds of permits and dolphin slaughtering is increasing alarmingly. This is posing serious threats to the marine environment and specie biodiversity as these animals may become extinct. On the other hand, certain pollutants such as mercury are being introduced into the marine ecosystem. This adds up to a large concentration of the same pollutants in dolphins and whales. In turn, bioaccumulation and biomagnifications are giving rise to local people’s health problems, especially those who consume large quantities of dolphin and whale meat. Health problems lead to a lower productivity, which in the long run will negatively affect the GDP of the country (see Fig.1).

Many activists are working incessantly to raise global awareness regarding such a disastrous practice. Japanese government is reluctant to change and issues laws without enforcing them. A case in point is the aforementioned 'no-slaughter policy'. The government’s interests lay more towards strengthening the present economy rather than safeguarding the environment and with it the economy of the generations to come.

References:

• O'Barry, H. 2010; What is happening in Taiji Now? [Available online]http://www.savejapandolphins.org/blog.html [Accessed on 15th Jan 2010]
• O'Barry, R. 2009; In Taiji, Japan, Fishermen in the Cove are still not killing Bottlenose Dolphins, but They are Killing Other Species [Available online] http://www.savejapandolphins.org/blog.html [Accessed on 15th Jan 2010]
• Jefftego, 2009; In Taiji, Japan, Fishermen in the Cove are still Killing Dolphins http://current.com/items/91715917_in-taiji-japan-fishermen-in-the-cove-are-still-killing-dolphins.htm [Available online] [accessed on 15th Jan 2010]
  

Trees and Woodlands of the Maltese Islands

Problem: Continuous exploitation of local woodlands leading to an almost total depletion of the endemic trees and woodland areas in the Maltese Islands.

How the problem evolved over time: Variables include human land use management/ mismanagement, harsh environment, and climatic changes as described below.

The Maltese Islands have been inhabited by different civilizations for millions of years dating back to the first settlers (believed to have came from Sicily)- Pre-historic era, Normans, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Knights of the order of St. John, French Empire and British Colony. Unfortunately very little reliable information is available on Maltese woodlands, their extent, status and the trees which used to constitute such woodlands. It is believed that the same islands were colonized by several types of trees which were deforested for ship building/military activity and agriculture revolution. Today tree cover of the Maltese Islands is about 5%, although this is mostly due to alien trees (trees not native to the Maltese Islands, but introduced, directly or indirectly, by man) (FAO, 2006).

It is not easy to determine how many types of woodland were present and the different types of such ecosystems. The Mediterranean woodland is the climax of vegetation of the Maltese Islands which in time was conditioned by several factors. The islands are composed mainly of limestones, the soils are young and are very similar to the parent rocks, and there are no mountains, streams or lakes, but only minor springs. The main geomorphological features are karstic limestone plateaux, hillsides covered with clay taluses, gently rolling limestone plains, valleys which drain runoff during the wet season, steep sea-cliffs on the south-western coasts, and gently sloping rocky shores to the Northeast. The main vegetational types are maquis, garigue and steppe; minor ones include patches of woodland, coastal wetlands, sand dunes, freshwater, and rupestral communities. (Lanfranco, in Malta Wild Plants website, 2009).


'Hard' elements that led to the identification of woodland coverage in Malta:

Limited information is also available on tree and woodland coverage prior to human habitation of the islands and in prehistory. Exceptions are the studies done on sub-fossilized pollen and leaves of Quaternary deposits and charcoal from the Neolithic Period (Stevens et al, 2006). Today the remaining forest remnants are threatened by climatic changes, fire, grazing, vandalism and population growth/density (400,000 people, increasing at a rate of about 2,400 inhabitants per year/1,250 inhabitants per km2) and by other human activity including urban sprawl (with more than 23% of the surface area being built-up), agricultural practises, recreational spaces and change in economic strategies .

The four forest remnants known are all found in the island of Malta. One of these was severely degraded, with most trees being destroyed in 1993. The remaining remnants are small relict isolated pockets, characterised by old holm oak trees found at il-Ballut (limits of San Pawl iil--Baħar), Il-- Ballut ta‘ l-Imġiebaħ` (limits of Il--Mellieħa, fig. 1), Il-Bosk (limits of Ir-Rabat) and Wied Ħażrun/Ta’ Baldu (limits of Ħad--Dingli). Some of the trees found in such remnants are estimated to be 500--1000 years old, but are probably older, definitely amongst the oldest trees in the Maltese Islands and have been reported from other areas, such as Il-Ballut ta' Ras il--Gebel (limits of Il--Mellieħa)). This woodland probably disappeared as a result of a combination of fire and overgrazing, coupled with timber and firewood collection (Sultana et al, 2002).

Fig. 1: Remants of Holm Oak Trees (Ballut) – Imgiebah (Mellieha)

Source: www.mepa.org.mt/heritage-general-info

Reafforestation tentatives in Malta as the ‘soft’ elements of this issue:

Pine trees were reintroduced in the early XX Century (Civil Code 1868, chapter 16), with most trees planted after the 1950s. The pine woodlands in the areas of il-Palazz tal- Verdala (Fig. 2) and il-Buskett are said to originate from the Għajn Żnuber pines. Forest remnants are also very important in view of the many rare species and endemics, particularly mushrooms, other fungi and invertebrates. These trees are usually taller than 1.5 metres, but rarely exceed 5 to 6 metres in height, are mainly evergreen in nature, have a very rich under-storey and are usually dense with smaller trees, shrubs and various herbs.

Fig. 2: Buskett Semi- Natural Woodland

Source: www.trekearth.com/Rabat/photo637359.htm

Malta has no national Maltese trees protection law. Until 2001 law and enforcement lacked and the public at large was not aware of the damage caused when illegally dumping in valleys and cliff or rdum areas. Education to protect and preserve forest ramlets also lacked. Bad practices also included planting of alien species for hunting and trapping purposes, clearing of endemic trees for agricultural practices, Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) issuing permits outside development zones (valleys beds and other remote sensitive areas), Agricultural Department (today Malta Resources and Rural Affairs-MRRA) lacking the correct data to preserve what is left of trees and woodland and police not being well equipped to monitor the natural environment. Sometimes NGOs were one sided thus providing no balance between human needs and nature. Low management practices and Habitat conservation programs also contributed to the destruction of the natural environment. Unwanted household, farming and other equipment and illegal substances were also dumped in the countryside since there was a lack of monitoring and enforcement by MEPA and MRRA. The responsibility for environmental management has been shared and thus fragmented amongst a number of government departments and agencies where much effort was used in bureaucracy and less in enforcement.

Since Malta's accession to the EU in 2004, the Maltese Government is closely following the Habitats Directive Council Directive 92/43/EEC related to the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora, locally transposed as the Flora, Fauna and Natural - Habitats Protection Regulations – Legal Notice 311 of 2006. This Protection of Natural Habitats regulation includes: a Strict Protection of Threatened Species, Control of Exploitation of Species in Use, Establishment of Monitoring Procedures, Control of Activities affecting habitats and species, Eradication and Control of Alien Species, Re-Introduction of Species and the Communication, Education and Public Awareness campaigns (EU Habitats Directive, 1992).

Bibliography:

• Stevens D, Schembri Gambin JL; Convension on Biological Diversity; 2006
  Availabe at: http://www.cbd.int/countries/?country=mt
  [Accessed: 12 January 2010]



• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Rome, 2006 Water Resource Review [Online]
  Available at: http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/a0994e/a0994e00.HTM
  [Accessed: 12 January 2010]



• Lanfranco, Edwin Department of Biology, University of Malta; Vegetation of the Maltese Islands [Online] Available at:
  http://www.maltawildplants.com/ASTR/Docs/ASTSQ/Vegetation%20of%20the%20Maltese%20Islands.h%20tm
  [Accessed :12 January 2010]



• Sultana J. & Falzon V., 2002: Wildlife of the Maltese Islands. Birdlife Malta, Nature Trust.



• Civil Code Chapter 16 [Online]
  Available at: http://docs.justice.gov.mt/lom/legislation/english/leg/vol_2/chapt16.pdf
  [Accessed: 12 January 2010]



• EU Habitats Directive [Online]
  Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/legislation/habitatsdirective/index_en.htm
  [Accessed: 12 January 2010]

Wave-cut Notch - Dwejra Gozo