Moviment Graffitti would like to reiterate its position that it is against any form of large-scale land reclamation that may be planned for the locality of Xgħajra and the surrounding coast. The reasons for this are that any form of land reclamation will have devastating and irreparable impacts on the natural coast, the sea and its eco-system, as well as on residents and workers in the area.
Many other people and entities have spoken out against this land reclamation, with James Grixti, secretary of the National Fisheries Cooperative warning of a “major socio-economic catastrophe” if the land reclamation were to take place, as this would have a direct impact on the livelihood of fishermen in the area and beyond, due to the massive loss of fishing grounds. Maltese fishermen are already restricted by activities such as oil bunkering, tuna pens, and other coastal activities, and this will only contribute to limiting the access to the sea.
The sea has its own diverse eco-system which contributes to the regeneration of said sea, and land reclamation would have a directly negative impact on this fragile eco-system which we so rely on.
Xgħajra residents have also spoken out against this issue. In a packed hall in Xgħajra, the residents made it clear that they are against any form of land reclamation which will change the natural coast in this area. Not to mention the threat of commercialisation to the relatively pristine coastline between Xgħajra and Marsaskala.
One cannot speak about the issue of land reclamation without mentioning the proposed Gozo tunnel, and other massive projects such as the db Group tower on the former ITS site in Pembroke, Corinithia’s 12 tower blocks in St.Julian’s, as well as the Mistra project which will produce tons of construction waste, which is why this land reclamation is needed in the first place. Moviment Graffitti is strongly against these massive projects, which will clearly only benefit the owners, while destroying Malta’s precious environment along the way. Moviment Graffitti states that the people and the environment must come first.
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Ir-reklamazzjoni tal-art fix-Xgħajra se jkollha impatt devastanti fuq in-natura u r-residenti
Il-Moviment Graffitti jixtieq itenni l-pożizzjoni tiegħu li huwa kontra kwalunkwe forma ta’ reklamazzjoni tal-art fuq skala kbira li hi ippjanata għal-lokalita’ tax-Xgħajra u l-kosta tal-madwar. Ir-raġuni għal dan hija li kwalunkwe forma ta’ reklamazzjoni tal-art se jkollha impatti devastanti u irreparabbli fuq il-kosta naturali, il-baħar u l-ekosistema tiegħu, kif ukoll fuq residenti u ħaddiema fiż-żona.
Ħafna nies u entitajiet oħra esprimew ruħhom kontra din ir-reklamazzjoni tal-art, b’James Grixti, is-segretarju tal-Koperattiva Nazzjonali tas-Sajd iwissi li tiġi ikkawżata ‘”katastrofi soċjoekonomika maġġuri” kieku kellha sseħħ ir-reklamazzjoni tal-art, peress li dan se jkollu impatt dirett fuq l-għixien tas-sajjieda fiż-żona u lil hinn minnha , minħabba t-telf kbir taż-żoni tas-sajd. Is-sajjieda Maltin diġà huma ristretti minn attivitajiet bħall-bunkering taż-żejt, il-gaġeg tat-tonn, u attivitajiet kostali oħra, u dan jikkontribwixxi biss biex jillimita l-aċċess għall-baħar.
Il-baħar għandu l-ekosistema diversa tiegħu li tikkontribwixxi għar-riġenerazzjoni tal-istess baħar, u r-reklamazzjoni tal-art ikollha impatt negattiv direttament fuq din l-ekosistema fraġli li aħna tant niddependu fuqha.
Ir-residenti tax-Xgħajra tkellmu wkoll kontra din il-kwistjoni. F’sala ippakkjata fix-Xgħajra, ir-residenti għamluha ċara li huma kontra kwalunkwe forma ta’ reklamazzjoni tal-art li tista’ tbiddel il-kosta naturali f’din iż-żona. Biex ma nsemmux it-theddida tal-kummerċjalizzazzjoni tal-kosta relattivament verġni bejn ix-Xgħajra u Marsaskala.
Wieħed ma jistax jitkellem dwar il-kwistjoni tar-reklamazzjoni tal-art mingħajr ma tissemma’ l-mina proposta għal Għawdex, u proġetti kbar oħra bħat-torri tad-db Group fuq is-sit tal-ITS f’Pembroke, it-12-il torri tal-Corinithia f’San Ġiljan, kif ukoll il-proġett tal-Mistra li se jipproduċu tunnellati ta’ skart tal-kostruzzjoni, u li huma r-raguni għala r-reklamazzjoni tal-art hija meħtieġa. Il-Moviment Graffitti huwa ferm kontra dawn il-proġetti enormi, li b’mod ċar se jibbenefikaw biss lis-sidien, filwaqt li jeqirdu l-ambjent prezzjuż ta’ Malta. Il-Moviment Graffitti jiddikjara li n-nies u l-ambjent għandhom jiġu l-ewwel dejjem.
