WATCH: The Scouring Of Comino: Trees Cut And Burned Near New Camping Site
Video footage has emerged of two men cutting and burning trees in Comino, right next to a proposed inland camping site on the tiny island.
Alternattiva Demokratika MEP candidate Arnold Cassola posted the footage on his Facebook feed, questioning whether the works are even legal, seeing as Comino is an ecologically-protected island.
Indeed, he identified the trees in question as protected Aleppo pine trees.
“While the Environment Minister boasts of planting new trees in Comino, the cutting and burning of protected trees near the proposed camping site, limits of Tal-Ful, is happening,” Cassola said. “Is this two square kilometre island protected or not?”
The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) announced last month that works have started on a new 10,000 square metre camping area near the Tal-Ful area. This is intended to replace the makeshift camping area in Santa Marija Bay, with ERA warning the camp site was damaging the island’s natural heritage.
Ambjent Malta later explained that the trees were just being pruned.