EU urged not to give Malta hunting concessions

As the hunting season opens today, Birdlife Malta is outraged with the fact that several protected night herons were gunned down by hunters at Mgarr, Gozo, during the past days, saying that bird-killing was "glaringly out of control".

The Sunday Times also learnt yesterday that a major European animal welfare organisation has written to EU commissioners and member states warning that any concession to the hunting lobby in Malta would set a serious precedent, and give hunters a free hand to continue with their indiscriminate hunting.

The issue is also expected to be raised at the inter group meeting in the European Parliament in Strasbourg this week in which MEPs will be asked to write letters of protest to the Commissioner.

Though the hunting season officially opens today, many hunters have apparently been warming up by shooting at early migrants, Birdlife claimed.

A shocked witness who called Birdlife said one of the lifeless birds landed on the roof of a nearby petrol station.

The report followed a similar incident last week when a flamingo seen flying at Marsalforn was later shot down over Zebbug, Gozo, where "law enforcement is non-existent," Birdlife claim. Both species are protected under Maltese law.

"Birdlife condemns the total impunity with which hunters are allowed to shoot down anything they fancy. The society warns that unless serious changes are made to the enforcement setup, this open season will no doubt become one more slaughter to add to our dismal record."

The autumn migration will bring with it thousands of protected birds of prey, herons, bee-eaters and other species on their way to their African wintering grounds.

However, left to their own devices, most hunters will no doubt ignore any such restrictions, Birdlife said.

In its EU negotiations, government has been pursuing a virtual status quo vis-a-vis hunting concessions, yet it has claimed that "a balance has been struck between tradition and the conservation of the environment," Birdlife said.

"The reality is that the killing of birds in Malta is glaringly out of control and that the understaffed Administration Law Enforcement is only a token unit, doing its very best, but struggling way out of its depth.

"If this is what the government understands as balance, the future of bird protection in our country is sad indeed," Birdlife said.

Birdlife accused successive governments of being too slack with an issue that has been shaming the country's image with almost clockwork regularity.

The society called on Government to show some real commitment at solving this chronic situation.

"What is mainly needed is a permanently strong environment police squad, properly staffed and adequately equipped to tackle the problem."

Contacted yesterday, Parliamentary Secretary George Pullicino said he held a meeting with the police commissioner and the deputy commissioner on Monday to discuss the issue of hunting enforcement.

World Animal Conscience chairman Michael Pearson said he was stunned that the government had been doing its utmost to obtain concessions for the hunters.

"Should the media reports prove to be true, then it would make it practically impossible for the police to exercise enforcement," he warned.

"Our line is plain and simple - do not try to appease the hunters because you will never get their vote."

WAC and International Animal Rescue have asked Eurogroup for Animal Welfare, the lobbying group for all EU members, which they represent, to put pressure on EU member states on the domestic hunting issue.

The letter has been sent to Enlargement Commissioner Gunther Verheugen, Environment Commissioner Margot Wallstrom, and the 15 EU member states, among others.

It was also sent to the Eurogroup member organisations and asked them to send a translated version to their environment ministers.

The letter by David Wilkins, director of Eurogroup, a copy of which was obtained by The Sunday Times, does not beat about the bush:

"It has recently been reported in the Maltese media that agreement has been reached on a 'package' whereby Malta would be allowed to maintain practices such as spring hunting and trapping of birds, which are outlawed under the Bird Directive.

"These reports are extremely worrying in that they suggest that the Commission may be backtracking on its repeatedly stated commitment not to grant any derogations for the nature protection acquis.

"If the implementation of this directive in Malta is the subject of derogations even prior to accession, it would set an undesirable precedent for any future negotiations on the subject and for enforcement throughout the EU.

"The Maltese government claims that the provisions of the (Bird) Directive can be used to maintain its traditional hunting and trapping regime.

"However, we do not see how the measures outlined in the reports of the agreement could in any sense be regarded as conforming to the spirit of the directive or falling within the derogations provided for there-under.

"The derogations allowed under Article 9 of the directive are clearly directed at specific, limited circumstances. They could in no way be interpreted as applying to the Maltese situation where it is simply a question of continuing the widespread, indiscriminate hunting and trapping of birds.

"We would therefore ask you to use your influence during the remaining negotiations to ensure that Malta fully adopts, implements and enforces the Birds Directive," the letter says.

Ironically, at a press conference last week, the hunters' federation shot down the "package" on hunting and trapping, and claimed that the agreement mentioned a seven-year moratorium on new trapping licenses, which it interpreted as being a plan to gradually eliminate trapping.