Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Environment regarding Nature Reserve press report

The report "Protection orders stripped from naturereserves" which appeared in the issue of 'The Malta Independent' dated 5January 1998, carries a number of inaccuracies.

The Environment Protection Department was fully aware of the LegalNotice prior to its publication. In fact it was drafted by the officers of thedepartment and all the normal procedures were followed in issuing it.Originally, the site at Xrobb l-Ghagin was included as a non-shootingand trapping zone due to the presence of the Deutsche Welle Station. Ithas now been deleted from the list of the protected areas as the Station is nolonger functional.

It is not the intention of the Government tolease the land for any purpose whatsoever and particularly for bird-trapping.The Commissioner of Lands is also being informed of this policy. The area isscheduled to become a natural park in the near future.