Why so many buildings?!!! 

People inherit houses, they demolish them and build apartments, flats and towers for the sake of becoming rich. 

Alexia Azzopardi

We must look out for the little nature that we have because the little we have is so beautiful and calming for the mind and body.

Ben Bartolo

EMPTY OCEANS – THE EFFECTS OF OVERFISHING

SDG 14 – Life Below Water

Overfishing happens when people catch too many fish from the sea, more than what nature can replace. This happens when fishermen don’t allow enough time for fish to grow and reproduce. 

When fish are caught too young, they don’t get the chance to lay eggs and create more fish for the future.

Another part of overfishing is catching fish that are too small to be sold. These small fish are often thrown back into the sea, but they are usually already dead. What’s the point of it? This wasteful practice means fewer fish survive to grow and reproduce, which makes the problem even worse

Overfishing mostly occurs from industrial scale fishing

The damage caused by overfishing is huge and affects not only marine life but also people.

A depleted Coral Reef - a damaged Ecosystem

Overfishing is a big problem, but there are things we can do to help! Here are some ideas:

Help Fishermen to Fish Smarter: We can ask fishermen to use nets that let small fish and sea creatures like turtles escape. These are called TED. A TED is a grid of bars with an opening, similar to an escape hatch. The bars are spaced far enough apart to allow shrimp and fish to be caught while allowing large species, such as sea turtles, to escape from the net through the opening.

Make rules to protect fish: Governments need to enforce these rules and make sure no one ignores them. They can also make special areas, called marine reserves, where no one is allowed to fish. This gives fish time to grow and have babies.

Choose the Right Fish to eat: When we buy fish, we should look for labels that show that the fish was caught in a way that doesn’t harm the ocean. We can also eat different kinds of fish so we don’t always take the same ones, like tuna or cod because it can be harmful.

Don't waste fish: Let’s only buy and cook the amount of fish we need. Throwing away fish adds to the problem because it makes people catch more than they should.

Teach People about Overfishing: We can tell our friends and family why overfishing is bad for the ocean and spread the information as much as we can. Schools and clubs can have events to teach people how to protect fish and other sea animals. These is proven to work!

Stop catching wrong animals: Sometimes fishermen accidentally catch animals they don’t mean to, like turtles. There are tools, like turtle escape hatches, that can help stop this from happening. When you catch a fish which is too small you can release it back into the ocean – a practice which is called ‘Catch and Release’.

Keep the Ocean clean: Trash like plastic should be recycled because the chemicals hurt fish and their homes. We all should use less plastic and try to keep beaches and oceans clean.

Elijah Micallef Caruana

This is all our fault! Dead animals left and right!

Jake Grima

Silent Cries Beneath the Waves

A fish trapped in a plastic prison; a stark reminder of humanity's footprint on nature's heart. 

Janelle Zahra

          Keep our streets clean and beautiful!

Rubbish dumped on the side of the road is ruining the environment. Let us work together to stop this irresponsibility. Let us keep our streets and nature clean for everyone to enjoy.

Julia Mangion

A Missed Opportunity for Change...

A forgotten bin...a forgotten responsibility!

Kayden Farrugia Grixti

Overflowing skips and a mountain of litter...

An urgent need for better waste management in our community!

Keziah Farrugia

I don't like to see homeless dogs because they can die of hunger with no place to live. I think it is best to create a shelter for the dogs in need and to buy them some food to eat. Also, we can donate some clothes, at least they can live a life like we do.

Liam Scorey

Saving our Maltese Ecosystem

The photos show the damage and neglect in the Maltese countryside. A broken rubble wall lies scattered with plastic bottles and waste nearby, showing a lack of care for the environment. 

In another picture, discarded tyres are left among plants, damaging the natural beauty and harming wildlife. Illegal dumping like this destroys habitats for animals and pollutes the land. It also makes the countryside less enjoyable for people. 

This problem highlights the need for proper waste disposal and better respect for nature. Protecting Malta's countryside is important to keep it clean and beautiful for future generations.