@lovinmaltaofficial

Birżebbuġa residents are ready to take direct action to stop the operations of a new tuna recycling plant that is causing foul smells in the seaside town, a Moviment Graffitti activist told a protest this morning 👀 “This protest is just a warning,” Andre Callus told the protest. “We are telling you nicely to listen to our cries and to immediately close the plant down. If you don’t listen to our cries, which should be obvious, then we must escalate our action. If needs be, we will stop the operations along with residents. Listen to this warning because what’s going on is unacceptable.” 😳 A large crowd of residents and activists turned up to the protest, demanding the closure of a tuna recycling plant owned by Aquaculture Resources Limited, which is run by some of the main players in the industry – Azzopardi Fisheries, MFF and Fish and Fish. 📹 Moviment Graffitti

♬ original sound – Lovin Malta

A large crowd of residents and activists turned up to the protest, demanding the closure of a tuna recycling plant owned by Aquaculture Resources Limited, which is run by some of the main players in the industry – Azzopardi Fisheries, MFF and Fish and Fish.

Residents of the area have previously spoken to Lovin Malta to appeal for help with the situation, stressing that the smell they have to deal with on a daily basis as a result of the plant is intolerable.

Aquaculture Resources Limited CEO Charlon Gouder insisted with Times of Malta that the plant isn’t responsible for the stench and invited concerned residents over to check it out for themselves.

However, Callus warned that Birżebbuġa residents won’t stand for “empty words”.

“They will tell us that they sympathise with the people of Birżebbuġa and that will do their utmost to solve the problem but we’re here to say that these are just empty words which mean nothing to us,” he said.

“We’ve heard these words so often in Birżebbuġa and other towns and they are meaningless. Our request is simple – if discussions and studies must take place, then they should take place, and if the drainage system needs be improved, then it should be improved. However, in the meantime, the fish plant should stop operating.”

“Let’s not allow anyone to tell us that they’ll solve the problem without closing the plant down immediately.”

“We are dealing with the tuna industry, which for decades has been a powerful industry that causes a huge amount of damage. For many years, they filled our bays with slime… at the start they said it wasn’t their fault but everyone now agrees that the slime was the consequence of greed. Now they’re telling us that the fish smells aren’t originating from the plant, when we know it is. After they harmed out bays, their next victims are the residents and workers of Birżebbuġa.”

A number of people Birżebbuġa residents also addressed the protest, including mayor Scott Camilleri, Anna Attard, John Saliba, Raffaela Baldacchino, Konrad Damato, and a man who identified himself as Radowan.

Do you think the plant should close down?