BirdLife Malta accuses the Prime Minister of losing the plot on hunting
BirdLife Malta accused Robert Abela of “losing the plot” regarding hunting as it asked the European Commission to take immediate action against Malta.
The bird conservation group described Malta as a “lawless state” when it comes to hunting and trapping.
In a strongly worded statement, the second in recent weeks, BirdLife pointed the finger of accusation at the Prime Minister for taking “a back seat and letting the Ministry of Gozo ignore the advice of the EU and dismisses the ORNIS Committee, while illegalities are being recorded every day” .
The statement comes on the eve of the fall hunting season, which opens on September 1 and runs through January.
There are over 30 species of birds that can be legally hunted but a quota of 500 has been set for pigeons which are considered a species of concern.
BirdLife said that the government’s decision to open the season follows meetings held directly between the FKNK, a hunting organization, the Wild Birds Regulation Unit (WBRU) and the Gozo Ministry responsible for hunting. BirdLife said that the Ornis Committee, an advisory body, has been completely sidelined.
“Hunters are expected to keep a quota while illegalities have already ruined the autumn bird migration period with enforcement absent as a flock of Black Kites sought refuge in the Maltese Islands last week and were targeted for poaching,” said BirdLife.
The decision to continue hunting European pigeons was taken unilaterally by the Ministry of Gozo without any consultation with the Ornis Committee and the quota was established on the basis of the hunting figures reported by the FKNK.
The committee has not met since last May when the CEO of the FKNK Lino Farrugia accosted the head of the WBRU Richard Lia during a heated exchange about the obligation of hunters to report their catches during the season of hunting in the spring.
BirdLife Malta said it has not yet heard back from the Prime Minister regarding a letter sent last week in which the organization requested that the autumn hunting season be postponed to mid-October. The proposal was to reduce the risk of protected birds being shot in September.
“The illegalities that are happening every day around the countryside do not bode well for a season that will see over 10,000 active licenses around Malta and Gozo. The enforcement efforts made are not proportional and the government’s impasse on the situation is only sending a message to the hunting community to keep going,” commented BirdLife Malta’s Head of Conservation Nicholas Barbara .
The President of BirdLife Malta Darryl Grima stressed that the police were not in a position to enforce the law.
Incidents of illegal hunting and trapping must be reported to BirdLife Malta on 21347646 or 79255697 (outside office hours) or directly to the police on 119 where they ask for the Environmental Protection Unit (EPU).