Environmental Crime and Biodiversity. A Maltese Context

Essay from the year 2019 in the subject Politics - Environmental Policy, grade: 80.00, University of Malta (Faculty for Social Wellbeing), course: B.A. (Hons) Social Wellbeing Studies, language: English, abstract: This paper deals with the topic of environmental crime and biodiversity crime. After a short introduction the interplay between environmental law and policy is analyzed. Furthermore, the current regulatory framework and its effectiveness in safeguarding and enhancing the environment is examined. Lastly, the framework and its effectiveness in ensuring the sustainable development of Malta's urban, rural, costal and marine area is inspected. Safeguarding the environment should be a major concern for every human being. This is because if it is not protected, future generations will not be able to enjoy such a planet as it is known today. There are various laws and policies which regulate and enforce the protection of the environment, with the help of several legal tools. Both people and organizations, as well as the government, should focus upon safeguarding the environment in the best ways possible. In fact, Chapter 549 of the Laws of Malta states that, 'it shall be the duty of every person to protect the environment' and, 'it shall be the duty of the Government to protect the environment for the benefit of the present and future generations.' Environmental crime is a type of crime in which the offender endangers the physical safety or health of a person, as well as the environment, thus is subject to criminal prosecution since the person breached the law. Such crimes are often portrayed as being victimless, however they are not. There are different forms of Environmental crime, which include in illegal development, illegal dumping, overfishing, illegal hunting and hunting for protected species