Għaqda Storja u Kultura Birżebbuġa and Moviment Graffitti have addressed their second letter to the Minister for the Environment, Energy and Enterprise, Dr Miriam Dalli, regarding the stench coming out of the tuna factory in Ħal Far. Whilst appreciating the Minister’s response regarding the efforts of the authorities to address the problem, they emphasized that their request, the request of the residents of Birżebbuġa and its surroundings, and of the workers in Ħal Far, remains that the operation of the factory is suspended until it is ensured that it will no longer leave the smells it is currently producing.
Last Saturday, hundreds of residents came out in the streets of Birżebbuġa precisely with this cry of common sense. It is unfair to residents and workers who suffer the inconvenience of unbearable smells, regardless of the technical reasons that are leading to this problem.
In their letter, the two organisations noted that the operation of the factory has not yet been stopped and that the company Acquaculture Resources Ltd. will even organize controlled visits to its factory next week.
They drew attention to the fact that no visit organized by the company will reassure people because, as long as the smells keep coming out, the problem will remain there in the same identical way. If someone tries to imply that the strong smells of dead fish, which started right when the tuna factory started operating over two months ago, are not actually a result of this factory, they would just be insulting the intelligence of the people.
It is neither the task of the residents, nor of the organisations nor of the journalists to find and address the reasons that are causing the factory to emit these smells. This is only a task of the company and the authorities concerned. Residents and workers, however, have the right not to suffer from this stench until a solution is found.
The organisations warned that, should the authorities falling under Dr Dalli’s Ministry fail to stop the operation of the company until the smells stop, the political responsibility must necessarily be borne by the Minister and by all those who have allowed this unsustainable situation to continue for too long.
The organisations concluded by saying they are confident that the Minister will listen to the grievances of the people and take the necessary action, whilst reiterating that the profits of the tuna industry must never come before the well-being and quality of life of the people.
L-Għaqda Storja u Kultura Birżebbuġa u l-Moviment Graffitti kitbu t-tieni ittra tagħhom indirizzata lill-Ministru għall-Ambjent, l-Enerġija u l-Intrapriża, Dr Miriam Dalli, dwar l-intejjen li ħerġin mill-fabbrika tat-tonn f’Ħal Far. Filwaqt li apprezzaw it-tweġiba tagħha dwar l-isforzi tal-awtoritajiet sabiex jindirizzaw il-problema, enfasizzaw li t-talba tagħhom, tar-residenti ta’ Birżebbuġa u l-madwar, u tal-ħaddiema f’Ħal-Far, tibqa’ li l-operat tal-fabbrika jkun sospiż sakemm ikun żgurat li mhux se tibqa’ tħalli l-irwejjaħ li qed tipproduċi bħalissa.
Nhar is-Sibt li għadda mijiet ta’ residenti ħarġu fit-toroq ta’ Birżebbuġa propju b’din l-għajta ta’ sens komun. Huwa inġust mar-residenti u mal-ħaddiema li jġarrbu inkonvenjent ta’ rwejjaħ insapportabbli, indipendentament mir-raġunijiet tekniċi li qed iwasslu għal din il-problema.
Fl-ittra iz-zewg għaqdiet innutaw li l-operat tal-fabbrika għadu ma twaqqafx u li l-kumpanija Acquaculture Resources Ltd. saħansitra se torganizza żjarat kontrollati fil-fabbrika tagħha l-ġimgħa li ġejja.
Huma ġibdu l-attenzjoni għall-fatt li l-ebda żjara organizzata mill-kumpanija mhi ser isserraħ ras in-nies għaliex, sakemm l-irwejjaħ jibqgħu ħerġin, il-problema tibqa’ hemm bl-istess mod identiku. Jekk xi ħadd jipprova jimplika li l-irwejjaħ qawwija ta’ ħut mejjet, li bdew eżatt meta bdiet topera l-fabbrika tat-tonn ‘il fuq minn xahrejn ilu, mhumiex fil-fatt riżultat ta’ din il-fabbrika, ikun biss qiegħed jinsulta l-intelliġenza tan-nies.
La huwa kompitu tar-residenti, la tal-għaqdiet u lanqas tal-ġurnalisti li jsibu u jindirizzaw ir-raġunijiet li qed iwasslu biex il-fabbrika tarmi dawn l-irwejjaħ. Dan huwa biss kompitu tal-kumpanija u tal-awtoritajiet konċernati. Ir-residenti u l-ħaddiema iżda għandhom dritt li ma jibqgħux ibatu minn dawn l-intejjen sakemm tinstab soluzzjoni.
L-għaqdiet kitbu li jekk l-awtoritajiet li jaqgħu taħt il-Ministeru ta’ Dr Dalli ser jonqsu milli jwaqqfu l-operat tal-kumpanija sakemm jieqfu l-intejjen, ir-responsabbiltà politika trid bilfors tinġarr mill-Ministru u minn dawk kollha li ħallew din is-sitwazzjoni insostenibbli għaddejja għal wisq żmien.
Huma temmew l-ittra billi qalu li jinsabu fiduċjużi li ser tinstema’ l-karba tal-poplu u tittieħed l-azzjoni meħtieġa, filwaqt li tennew li l-qligħ tal-industrija tat-tonn m’għandu qatt jiġu qabel il-benesseri u l-kwalità tal-ħajja tan-nies.
