Malta ‘Lost at Sea’
Photographs: Benjamin Wormald Words: Ciara Ryan-Gerhardt
Malta is ‘at sea,’ both literally between two completely different continents—Africa and Europe and metaphorically at sea given the vast changes taking place. This analogy of being ‘at sea’ is helpful to show the juxtaposition of the relationship of old:new, the mobilised, confused feel that can result with sudden winds of change. Secondly, the undercurrent or underlying feel that something’s amiss—namely the cultural heritage, land, environment, language and traditions that are cast aside in the name of something else—development or modernisation, economic growth, and a growing tourism sector, which are then in danger of being lost or forgotten. Throughout Malta’s rich history it has been invaded by different imperialist and colonial powers which arrived along the calm shores of the island’s coastline, over the past 3,000 years. Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Sicilians, Knights of St Johns, Napoleonic France all ruled over the island, and, in 1964 Malta finally gained its independence after 150 years of British rule. Shortly after this, a trickle of tourists became a flood with the introduction of cheap flights and package holidays which now attracts 1.6 million, mainly British, tourists every year. Unlike the invaders of old, this army is armed with cameras, protected by bucket hats and sunscreen, and carries wallets full of Euros destined for the island’s expectant coffers. This amounts to 40% of Malta’s Gross Domestic Product, making tourism Malta’s biggest export.
Through tourism and ‘package’ holidays, there is a kind of nondescript, tidal influx of people, in, out. In their study of sustainable entrepreneurship with Maltese artisans, one stated he could never compete with importers and ‘sellers of mass-produced copycat items’ given permits to set up large premises where they showcase and sell their products, over-shadowing Maltese artisans selling genuine, local crafts. He spoke about the lack of ‘equal footing’ and ‘unfair competition from foreign markets’ since the EU liberalised the market. Another invasion, though this time, in a sense, more dangerous due to its subtlety. Another artisan admitted to selling both genuine local crafts and imported, copycat products in the same shop with no labels to help a customer distinguish the Maltese from imported items because he cannot economically justify selling the handmade, local crafts anymore (Green Jobs from a Small State Perspective, 2011). It’s a rough, volatile market (or sea) when there is no way of knowing, when you go down, how to get back up again with excessive competition and neo-liberalisation in a ‘free’ market, and dependent on external factors far away from your control.
With its very high population density, 1,309 persons per square km (that’s the highest in Europe and one of the highest in the world) coupled with its small land size, 316km squared, substantial pressure is placed on the limited natural resources on the island. The three principal threats to Malta’s biodiversity are development in rural and marine areas, introduction of invasive species and exploitation of wildlife, according to Malta’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. Malta was ranked badly by a German foundation this year according to its environmental policy and in its index of sustainable governance: ‘The development of institutional infrastructure required to ensure... sustainable governance, did not keep pace with economic development.’The large inflow of tourists (the number of tourists visiting Malta was circa 2.8 times the population in 2007) coupled with the inherent characteristics of insularity, increasing population density and associated consumer demands place a huge burden on resources, especially water, and fragile coastal ecosystems. Maltese soils, also, are of poor fertility due to very low organic matter and high pH. A heavy toll is seen on the sewerage, public transport system and groundwater table with very high concentration of nitrates.
The link between youth:eldership is an important one, as a kind of anchor, so as not to lose the wisdom of elders, and their life-experience. Malta has a rich cultural history, and it’s dangerous to cast it away or not to use it now, more than ever before. Malta has a long history of land-use and traditional farming, which can, quite literally, in pockets of small fields still be seen around the island. This could be married to the recent movement around the world for ecological and sustainable practices in growing food, but such traditional knowledge needs be harvested before any more continued urbanisation, tourism or package holiday development contributes to further cultural heritage loss or environmental degradation.
The analogy of being at sea is also useful for illustrating migration of the many who come here trying to make Malta their home. They come via a clandestine straight Libya-Malta-Sicily. Many come by sea, on tiny un-seaworthy boats, and to compound this, they are often met with a rough ‘welcome’ when they get here, both by migration officials, their ‘handling’ (papers or in attitude) and by Malta’s public. According to a Times of Malta article published in February this year, last summer Malta ‘clamped down forcefully’ on migrants and refugees from Eritrea, Somalia, Nigeria, Libya and Egypt. According to Frontex, a European Union border-management Agency, there is ‘high migration pressure’ that is ‘likely to remain at a high level.’
The Maltese farmer of the older generation is a disappearing individual. Change began particularly in the years after the Second World War, shaking the foundations of the cleavage between ‘peasant villager’ and ‘urban townsman.’ In the 80s there was uncontrolled, unregulated growth of the building sector resulting in poor infrastructure and housing abandonment. It is still to this day encroaching on the fragile landscape, with government still to be seen increasingly pandering to developers. An article published in the Times of Malta on the 9th of May 2014, entitled: ‘Our not so good governance’, explores the ‘polarised’ community present in Malta, with the result that ‘what ought, by any standard, to be considered unacceptable can easily come to be politically acceptable, if not a norm.’ This insularity contributes to and is possibly one reason for ‘clinging to the boat’, in the face of hard-ships unwilling to change course or not engaging with problems Malta currently faces.
There are a very many beautiful things in Malta to be seen and done, and it has a remarkable history with prehistoric temples dating from 4000 - 2500 BC—the oldest standing stone structures still remaining from ancient times (older even than the Pyramids and Stonehenge). It has a fascinating, unique language, and an appreciation for good quality, local Mediterranean cuisine. Sometimes slowly, sometimes fast, things are changing on this little island at the southern tip of Europe (you must fly north to get to African Tunis in Tunisia—many don’t realise how far South Malta is). Just this April, Parliament passed a Civil Union Law, permitting same-sex couples to adopt and have similar rights to married couples; there are also anecdotal stories about improvements, and outside influences having positive effects on the island too of course. However, as the European Commission’s report in 2010 stated, many rural areas in Malta face challenges economically and socially, party due to tourism-related issues. In order to preserve this unique land and its people, and at the same time make some required, systemic changes particularly to its environmental, public service works and governance, change is needed—of an appropriate and well-thought out kind.
Photographs and Design: Copyright, Benjamin Wormald, 2014 Words: Copyright, Ciara Ryan-Gerhardt, 2014
Benjamin Wormald Is a documentary photographer who’s interests in exploring historical, environmental and anthropological ideas, are manifested in presenting them in a photographical format. He is graduating from the Press & Editorial Photography course at Falmouth University in the summer of 2014.
Ciara Ryan-Gerhardt is an Irish-born poet, nonfiction, poetic prose and story-writer. She has a deep love and fascination for the natural world born of her childhood, gardening in an eco-village, studying agricultural sciences, Permaculture, Deep Ecology and Nature Connection, briefly International Development and an internship with the International Society for Ecology and Culture. ‘Sense of place’ having travelled widely since the age of eight, and the link between ecological and social issues are often her main explorations.
Email: wormald.ben@gmail.com
Email: ciarar28@gmail.com
Website: www.cargocollective.com/benwormaldphoto Instagram: @benworm
Special Thanks too: Hostel Jones who provided us with a place to stay, If you’re ever in Malta contact: www.HostelJones.com Extra thanks go to: Trevor Diacono, Fabian Saliba, Mikey, Toni, Rob Morrice, Nikki Brown, Jordan Stevens, Alex Atack, Jack Reed, Dave, Christine, Reine, Censu, Alfred, Joe, Bea, Carmen, Andrew, Trevor, Peppi and Ingram.