Hunting the hunters

John Bowis, formerly British Minister of Health and Transport and now spokesman for the environment of the European People's Party in the European Parliament, has called on the European Commission to stop spring hunting in Malta and requested that no more derogations be granted.

A spokesman for the European Commission declared in reply that "spring hunting will be curbed and bird trapping will have to stop after 2008" (September 16). He is reported to have added that the Commission is aware that illegal hunting is still going on in Malta and that, in the case of trapping, this tradition is not in line with the Birds Directive.

Moreover, the EU has indicated to the Maltese government that the current system relating to spring hunting, which is an open-ended one and an extension of the hunting season period for two species of birds, could not fit in with the conditions of the Bird Directive.

Mr Bowis insisted that the Commission should stop spring hunting and trapping and made it clear that the continuation of these practices is unacceptable.

The Times (September 14) carried a front page story from its Brussels correspondent who announced that Malta "may have to introduce new restrictions on hunting in spring before the next season, in order to satisfy the European Commission which is not convinced that the derogation allowing bird shooting during this period is being implemented according to EU rules".

He added that the Maltese government has said it intended to prohibit the trapping of finches in spring and to shorten the season for hunting from sea craft by a month. "But it looks more likely that the government will have to go much further in order to comply with the EU Bird Directive".

Malta is the only EU member state where spring hunting is allowed, although only turtle doves and quail can be shot. The EU is "not convinced that spring hunting in Malta is being regulated as it should". Ergo, the EU argument seems to be that derogations, formally agreed with the Malta government, should go by the board.

This would amount to pandering and caving in to the strong BirdLife lobby, which has been notching mileage with every incident involving the shooting of protected birds, and, incidentally, doing so much harm to Malta's image.

Even more seriously, it would give short shrift to the formal and official public stand adopted by the government at the time of the Accession Agreement and the solemn commitments undertaken to stand up for the legitimate position taken by the Maltese hunting community.

I have no interest in defending irresponsible individual hunters who butcher protected birds and who shoot at everything that moves, thinking that they are monarchs of all they survey. A government worth its salt should enforce the law and bring those bullies to their senses by introducing strong measures.

I speak on behalf of law-abiding citizens, who practise the sport within the parameters of the law and who expect the government to stand by its commitments to the electorate. I have been assured on innumerable occasions in Parliament about the government's total commitment to stand by the terms drawn up (on hunting and trapping) at the time it negotiated and agreed to join the European Union... Malta's national dignity is involved and the government is expected to stand up and demand that the EU respect the framework which has been in place since accession, no matter what the BirdLife lobby says.

In Malta, as elsewhere in the world, there are unprincipled individuals who deal in drugs, who live by prostitution, usury, commercial exploitation of youths and outright burglary.

There are no lobbies howling against these criminal malpractices and demanding EU intervention, as there is in the case of hunting and trapping. Why?

The EU would be justified and responsible Maltese opinion should be solidly supportive if it were to insist on the government's duty and obligation to enforce law and order.

For the EU to impose additional restrictions beyond those established and prevailing since the accession deal was clinched, and for the Maltese government to succumb to EU pressure, would amount to a flagrant violation of democratic practice. The Maltese government, as well as the EU, should hunt the criminals not the law-abiding hunters.

Dr Vassallo is a Labour MP.