The 15th National Focal Points Meeting of the UN Protocol, focusing on Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean, is taking place in Malta
Malta is implementing different actions to safeguard its marine protected area network, which covers 4,100 km2 of Mediterranean waters, 13 times the size of the country’s land surface.
Minister for the Environment, Energy and Enterprise Miriam Dalli explained Malta’s latest actions to protect its marine environment during the 15thNational Focal Points Meeting of the United Nations Protocol concerning Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean (the SPA/BD Protocol). This meeting is being hosted by the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA).
Minister Dalli said that Malta has already implemented many aspects of the UNEP/MAP Programme for 2022-2023. “In January, Malta adopted the first-ever conservation measures for all of our marine protected areas, and we are already implementing these plans. The latest scientific assessment of our marine turtles and resident aquatic mammals show that their populations are in a good environmental status, which is a positive result following more than 30 years of active legal protection in Malta,” Minister Dalli said
While Malta continued to add new protection areas in recent years, it is also working on other threats to its marine environment, including marine litter. In this regard, the Minister explained that “we are tackling this challenge through a circular economy approach, with the prohibition of single-use plastics, the promotion of recycling and reuse, and the recent introduction of mandatory waste separation for everyone, including households, businesses and all other entities and organisations.”
ERA Deputy Director, Darrin T. Stevens noted how this meeting is demonstrating Malta’s continuous efforts in marine environment protection through several actions, such as the surveying and discovery of new habitats and species in Maltese waters, the protection of marine species, the allocation of resources for the safeguarding and rehabilitation of injured and beached marine life, and the Saving Our Blue campaign.
ERA CEO Kevin Mercieca thanked the participants for their attendance and for the work they are carrying out.
During the meeting, the focal points from each Member State that is Party to the Barcelona Convention will discuss technical and scientific aspects associated with the implementation of the Protocol. Such discussion includes aspects linked with the conservation and management of coastal and marine protected areas and species of particular interest around the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the implementation of activities under the UNEP/MAP Programme of Work and how this will be employed to achieve the United Nations Kunming Declaration on Biodiversity Conservation adopted by Governments in Montreal (Canada) in December 2022.
Malta bi 18-il żona marittima protetta
Il-15-il laqgħa nazzjonali ta’ Focal Points ta’ Protokoll tan-Nazzjonijiet Uniti dwar Żoni Speċjali Protetti u d-Diversità Bijoloġika fil-Mediterran, qed titlaqqa’ f’Malta
Malta qed timplimenta diversi azzjonijiet biex tissalvagwardja żoni marittimi protetti, li jkopru madwar 4,100 km2 tal-baħar Mediterran u li huma 13-il darba akbar minn Malta.
Matul il-15-il laqgħa Nazzjonali ta’ Focal Points ta’ Protokoll tan-Nazzjonijiet Uniti dwar Żoni Speċjali Protetti u d-Diversità Bijoloġika fil-Mediterran (il-Protokoll SPA/BD), il-Ministru għall-Ambjent, l-Enerġija u l-Intrapriża Miriam Dalli spjegat l-azzjonijiet li Malta qed tieħu sabiex tipproteġi l-ambjent marittimu. Din il-laqgħa qed tiġi organizzata mill-Awtorità għall-Ambjent u r-Riżorsi (ERA).
Il-Ministru Dalli qalet li Malta diġà implimentat bosta aspetti mill-programm UNEP/MAP għal 2022-2023. “F’Jannar, bħala pajjiż, adottajna l-ewwel miżuri ta’ konservazzjoni għaż-żoni kollha marittimi, fejn bħala pajjiż diġà bdejna naħdmu fuq dawn il-pjanijiet. L-aħħar valutazzjoni xjentifika tal-fkieren tal-baħar u l-mammiferi tal-baħar li jidħlu fl-ibħra tagħna, turi kif il-popolazzjonijiet tagħhom huma fi stat ambjentali tajjeb. U dan huwa riżultat pożittiv wara aktar minn 30 sena ta’ protezzjoni legali attiva f’Malta,” qalet il-Ministru Dalli.
F’dawn l-aħħar snin Malta kompliet iżżid żoni protetti ġodda, filwaqt li kompliet taħdem fuq miżuri li jistgħu jkunu ta’ theddida għall-ambjent marittimu, li jinkludi skart fil-baħar. “Qed nindirizzaw din l-isfida permezz tal-ekonomija ċirkolari, projbizzjoni ta’ plastik li jintuża darba biss, promozzjoni ta’ riċiklaġġ u użu mil-ġdid tal-affarijiet, kif ukoll kampanja li ħabbarna ftit ilu, dik ta’ separazzjoni tal-iskart mandatorju għal kulħadd, inklużi djar residenzjali, negozji u entitajiet u organizzazzjonijiet,” spjegat il-Ministru Dalli.
Id-Deputat Direttur tal-ERA Darrin T. Stevens irrimarka li din il-laqgħa qed turi l-isforzi kontinwi li tagħmel Malta fil-qasam tal-protezzjoni ambjentali marittimu permezz ta’ diversi azzjonijiet. Dawn ivarjaw minn surveying u skoperti ta’ abitati u speċi ġodda fl-ibħra Maltin, protezzjoni ta’ speċi marittimi, allokazzjoni ta’ riżorsi biex jiġu salvagwardati u riabilitati annimali marittimi li jkunu mweġġgħin u l-kampanja ‘Saving Our Blue’.
Il-Kap Eżekuttiv tal-ERA Kevin Mercieca rringrazzja lill-parteċipanti ta’ din il-laqgħa u għall-impenn tagħhom f’din il-ħidma.
Matul din il-laqgħa, kull stat membru li jagħmel parti mill-Konvenzjoni ta’ Barċellona se jiddiskuti aspetti tekniċi u xjentifiċi li huma assoċjati mal-implimentazzjoni tal-protokoll, li jinkludi aspetti relatati mal-konservazzjoni u l-immaniġġjar taż-żoni kostali u żoni protetti marittimi u speċi ta’ interess madwar il-Baħar Mediterran. Kif ukoll l-implimentazzjoni ta’ attivitajiet li jaqgħu taħt il-programm UNEP/MAP sabiex jintlaħqu l-miri tad-Dikjarazzjoni Kunming tan-Nazzjonijiet Uniti fuq il-Konservazzjoni tal-Bijodiversità li ġiet adottata mill-gvernijiet f’Montreal, il-Kanada, f’Diċembru 2022.