Nature Trust (Malta) has expressed concern at the level of degradation of garigue habitats as a result of bird trapping over the years.

NT said that for the last three years is had been asking for garigue parks to be created in order to protect these habitats and at the same time stop illegal activities on such sensitive sites.

It also asked the authorities to say what the ORNIS committee was doing in this area or how it intended to tackle it.

The trust said it was also concerned at the slow pace with which the designation of the Natura 2000 sites was moving. Malta was falling behind most of the EU accession countries in the designation of such sites.

The organisation had submitted its proposals for such sites months ago but no developments had yet been reported, it said.