OPENING SPEECH BY THE HON. FRANCIS ZAMMIT DIMECH MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, ON THE OCCASION OF THE SEMINAR/ROUNDTABLE ON COASTAL SURVEILLANCE IN POLLUTION AND FISHERIES CONTROL

Ladies and Gentleman,

Professor Victor Axiak,

Thank you for inviting me to open this seminar on such an interesting and innovative subject.

The Mediterranean is often perceived as a confrontational zone and an area of political fragmentation. This simplistic view overlooks a number of important regional features which have established themselves in the Mediterranean scene over the past few decades. These include the various political efforts being made to unite large parts of the region via trade and cooperation agreements, mobility of workers and students, pan-Mediterranean cultural initiatives, and the shared and common concern about heritage and the environment.

Mediterranean countries in Barcelona in 1995, formally recognized their respective interdependence with regard to the environment which necessitates a regional approach and increased co-operation and improved co-ordination of existing programmes.

We have since many years now, recognized the vulnerability of our coastal and marine resources which, conservation and sustainable management is now perceived as a top priority issue by all countries.

Our respective economies, including tourism, fisheries and our major infrastructure such as ports, terminals and power plants and some of our most important habitats are situated in the coastal regions. Our coastline and coastal waters also represent our connection and thus our lifeline to the rest of the world. Any natural and other resources, need to be continually and comprehensibly monitored, in order to enable us to take prompt remedial actions if the need arises. Mediterranean countries now attached special emphasis to sustainable and balance economic development in full respect of the environment.

My ministry recognizes that any uses made of the coast, and indeed any management strategies prepared for this important and sensitive area, must be based upon the principles of sustainability if we are to ensure that this valuable and substantial resource without diminished potential to future generations. We recognize that sustainable coastal development must include the ability to survey and monitor the relevant effects which activities within the coastal zone may have, which create or result in an impact on our coastal resources.

It is for this purpose that my Ministry, through the Environment Protection Department provided collaboration and sustained assistance to the research project entitled AMED, which seeks to apply simulations of airborne remote sensing techniques for coastal surveillance in the Mediterranean.

The first stage of this research which was jointly undertaken by the Department of Biology of the University of Malta and the Environment Protection Department within my ministry has now been concluded and we hope that the participants for this seminar will be able to review its results and assess them for in respect of the resulting benefits of Malta as well as of other neighbouring countries.

It is with this in mind that we welcome you to Malta and to this Seminar.

This project could not have been accomplished without the valuable contribution of Thomson-CSF-Detexis and the Joint Research Centre of the Commission of the European Community DG for sponsoring this activity.

I would also like to thank my great friend Roberto Patruno, Director of the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean (REMPEC) and his staff, for their collaboration and participation in this Seminar.

REMPEC has proved to be an invaluable asset in Malta's efforts to set up a national oil spill contingency plan.

We also wish to thank CEDRE for contributing their knowledge and expertise at this Seminar. In fact, Malta and in particular my own Ministry has had a close and fruitful working collaboration with CEDRE who were commissioned by the European Union to prepare Malta's national contingency Plan and train our staff in its implementation. CEDRE has also been of great assistance in helping us select suitable equipment to combat oil spills and thus in our efforts to protect our coastline from pollution.

Malta is also thankful for the determining role that is being played by the European Union, through the European Commission's, Directorate General

Information Society, in providing the necessary funds for collaborative research such as AMED and therefore in enabling scientists and experts from the European and non-European Mediterranean countries to jointly solve our common environmental problems.

Before concluding, I welcome representatives from Albania, Algeria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia, and thank them for accepting our invitation for this Seminar.

Let me assure you that my ministry will always encourage similar initiatives, especially where Malta could serve as a focus or venue around which EU funded projects that enable scientists and environmental experts from all our neigbouring countries to work together and to deliberate upon specific problems and propose cost-effective which can be applied with benefit throughout the region.

I wish you all a fruitful meeting and an enjoyable stay in Malta.