Government Notices published in Government Gazette No. 21,287 of 19th July 2024

IT is notified for general information that the Hon. Robert Abela, KUOM, BA, LLD, Adv. Trib. Melit., MP, resumed duties as Prime Minister on Wednesday, 17th July, 2024, and that the arrangements made by Government Notice No. 898 of the 15th July, 2024, ceased to have effect accordingly.

IT is notified for general information that acting on the advice of the Prime Minister, the President of Malta has directed that the Hon. Owen Bonnici, BA, LLD, MP, Minister for the National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government, assumes the additional duties of the Prime Minister on Thursday, 18th July, 2024, during the absence from Malta of the Hon. Robert Abela, KUOM, BA, LLD, Adv. Trib. Melit., MP.

IT is notified for general information that the Hon. Robert Abela, KUOM, BA, LLD, Adv. Trib. Melit., MP, resumed duties as Prime Minister on Thursday, 18th July, 2024, and that the arrangements made by Government Notice No. 913 of the 17th July, 2024, ceased to have effect accordingly.

Article 69 of the Environment Protection Act

Ir-Ramla (Gozo) Turtle Nesting Emergency Conservation Order

THE Environment and Resources Authority is hereby issuing an Emergency Conservation Order in respect of the site as described below in accordance with Article 69 of the Environment Protection Act, for the purpose of the conservation of:

Ir-Ramla (Gozo)

and its surroundings as per site plan under Schedule I (see site plan on page 22,720), hereinafter referred to as “the Emergency Conservation Area", due to the ecological and scientific importance of the site and the need for conservation.

The following regulations shall apply:

1. For the purpose of the Emergency Conservation Order, the terms “Authority"; “conservation"; and “person" shall have the same meaning as that defined in the Environment Protection Act.

2. The Emergency Conservation Area may be monitored continuously inter alia by means of a temporary site post.

3. No person shall, within the Emergency Conservation Area, unless authorised by the Authority:

a) in any way, take or attempt to take, disturb, damage or destroy any eggs, turtle hatchlings or adult marine turtle, whether alive or dead;

b) enter or attempt to enter, or in any way assist any other person to enter the area cordoned-off by the Authority;

c) remove any portion of, or object making up, the cordoning installed by the Authority or any ancillary installation or any official signage installed by the Authority;

d) hang, affix or append or attempt to hang, affix or append any object on the cordoning installed by the Authority around the nest or in any manner compromise or attempt to compromise the integrity of the cordoning;

e) place or attempt to place any object or material into the area cordoned off by the Authority;

f) allow any animal under his ownership or responsibility to enter or attempt to enter the area cordoned-off by the Authority or to otherwise damage the cordoning so installed;

g) remove any litter, waste or article whatsoever from the area cordoned-off by the Authority;

h) place or attempt to place any object that, at any time between sunrise and sunset, may cast a shadow inside the area cordoned-off by the Authority;

​​i) deposit any litter, unless this is deposited in the litter bins or other litter collection facilities provided for such purpose;

j) participate in any barbecue, on land;

k) from half past six in the evening (6.30 p.m.) of any day until half past seven in the morning (7.30 a.m.) of the following day, camp or participate in any camping activity;

l) participate in any organised activity involving a group of more than 10 persons;

m) drive, manoeuvre or park any vehicle over the sand;

n) utilise fuel powered electricity generators or fuel powered mechanised equipment on land;

o) make use or be in possession of any device capable of emitting electromagnetic waves or any kind of radiation which is purposely manufactured to scan below the surface of the ground or through objects;

p) play loud music;

q) be in possession of, set up, light up or let off any sort of pyrotechnic material, fireworks or explosives;

r) install any trap, net, any type of long-line or similar devices that in any way may catch or harm any turtle egg, turtle hatchling or adult marine turtle;

s) deploy or be in possession of any gill net; trammel net or fishing net of any sort; or

t) remove any Posidonia oceanica or Cymodocea nodosa wrack (alka) from the seaward side in front of the area cordoned-off by the Authority unless by hand or with the use of hand-held unmechanised tools.

4. No person shall within the area subject to further restrictions as indicated in the site plan in Schedule I, participate in any catering activity, on land.

5. Without prejudice to the above provisions, from the 26th August, 2024, from half past six in the evening (6.30 p.m.) of any day until half past seven in the morning (7.30 a.m.) of the following day, no person shall within the area subject to further restrictions as indicated in the site plan in Schedule I:

a) place, deposit or install any object, or attempt to place, install or deposit any object, that in any way may hinder or has the potential to hinder the safe passage of juvenile marine turtles from the area cordoned-off by the Authority to the sea;

b) at sea, place or deploy any object or installation or attempt to place or deploy any object or installation, that in any way may reasonably hinder or has the potential to reasonably hinder the safe passage of juvenile marine turtles towards the open sea;

c) dig any holes in the sand;

d) utilise or be in possession of any sort of lighting device for fishing purposes or the capturing of any fauna:

Provided that the above provisions shall also apply at any time in the event of a hatching episode occurring outside of such restricted times.

6. Notwithstanding any authorisations or permits already afforded by the Authority or any other permits or authorisations issued under any other law, no form of mechanised beach cleaning activity or mechanical interventions shall occur within the Emergency Conservation Area designated under Schedule I, unless duly permitted by the Authority.

7. From 26th August, 2024, until the date indicated in paragraph 9, no person shall within the Emergency Conservation Area or in the vicinity of the Emergency Conservation Area, from half past six in the evening (6.30 p.m.) of any day until half past seven in the morning (7.30 a.m.) of the following day, generate any light unless screened in such a way as not to be directly visible from the area cordoned-off by the Authority or such light covered with a red coloured filter:

Provided that this provision shall not apply to compulsory navigational lights of seagoing vessels.

8. No person shall within the Emergency Conservation Area or in the vicinity of the Emergency Conservation Area generate any excessive noise or vibrations.

9. This Emergency Conservation Order shall be valid from the date of issue up to the 22nd September, 2024, and shall be without prejudice to the Flora, Fauna and Natural Habitats Protection Regulations (S.L. 549.44) and the Reptile (Protection) Regulations (S.L. 549.02).

10. (1) The protection allocated to the Emergency Conservation Area has the same effect as the inclusion of the area in the National Ecological Network and Special Areas of Conservation in terms of the Flora, Fauna and Natural Habitats Protection Regulations (S.L. 549.44).

(2) The provisions included in this Emergency Conservation Order are:

(i) considered as conservation measures addressing the overall conservation objective aimed at protecting the loggerhead turtle, Caretta caretta, in its nesting site; and

ii) required for such protected site in line with the requirements of regulations 14 and 19 of the Flora, Fauna and Natural Habitats Protection Regulations (S.L. 549.44).

11. Any person who acts in contravention of any provision of this Emergency Conservation Order shall be punishable in accordance with the Environment Protection Act (Cap. 549).

Article 69 of the Environment Protection Act

Extension of the Turtle Nesting Emergency Conservation Order of Ir-Ramla tal-Mixquqa (Golden Bay)

IN accordance with the provisions of Article 69 of the Environment Protection Act, the Environment and Resources Authority is hereby extending the validity of the Turtle Nesting Emergency Conservation Order of Ir-Ramla tal-Mixquqa (Golden Bay), as laid down in Government Notice 859 dated the 5th July, 2024, until the 25th September, 2024.

IT is hereby notified for general information that the following person has been appointed Executive Secretary of that Local Council with effect from 11th July, 2024

Local CouncilExecutive Secretary

Western Regional Council                 Tania Farrugia

IT is hereby notified that Government Gazette Notice No. 882 published on the 12th July, 2024, is in error and thus is being cancelled.

Mr Godwin Warr, Director General (Commerce), resumed duties on 19th July, 2024, and the arrangements referred to in Government Notice No. 877 of 12th July, 2024, are hereby being cancelled.

Application Number: 401/2024

​By a decree dated 15th July, 2024, the Court of Revision of Notarial Acts found that Notary Dr Patrick Critien failed to execute what he has been ordered to do in its decree of the 25th May, 2024, and consequently after having seen Article 124 (4) of Chapter 55 of the Laws of Malta, orders the partial incapacitation of the said notary with immediate effect and up to such time when he shall have executed the order given to him by the aforesaid decree.

ADRIAN MICALLEF

Deputy Registrar, Court of Revision of Notarial Acts

Today, 16th July, 2024

THE Commissioner of Inland Revenue notifies that, on the date shown hereunder, the price of gold and silver on which valuations made by the Consul for Goldsmiths and Silversmiths are based has been fixed for the purposes of article 14 of the said Act as follows: