Hunters' demands may result in more 'infringement' procedures
Ornis committee meeting on Thursday
Recent demands by the hunters' federation would require at least four new exemptions from the EU Birds Directive and may result in more infringement procedures against Malta, according to Birdlife Malta.
Birdlife has issued a position paper criticising the recent set of demands by the hunters' federation - relating to the autumn hunting and trapping season - ahead of Thursday's Ornis Committee meeting.
The hunting federation demand-ed that the season for hunting at sea should be extended until the end of February, which coincides with the spring migration of ducks. It also asked for the speed limit for boats used for hunting to be eliminated.
The federation requested permission to trap five new species in autumn, and that through another exemption, trapping should continue in 2009.
Birdlife said this was in direct violation of Malta's EU Accession Treaty agreement.
"All these demands are simply a direct attack on the national hunting legislation and are in direct violation of the EU Birds Directive. FKNK wants Malta to apply at least four more derogations to accommodate their own interest and they do this without providing any justification, scientific or ecological reasoning or data to back up their demands," Birdlife president Joseph Mangion said.
Under the agreements between Malta and the European Commission contained within the Accession Treaty, the government agreed to phase out the trapping of seven songbird (finch) species by the end of 2008. Andre Raine, Birdlife conservation manager, said: "FKNK not only wants to continue trapping in 2009 in direct violation of the Accession Treaty agreement but also demands that species such as turtle dove, quail, plover, lapwing and song thrush, which are not part of the agreement, also be trapped next autumn.
"We believe that Ornis Committee will reject these unjustifiable demands and that Malta will honour the agreement it signed with the EU and stop trapping by the end of this year."
The position paper also says that the committee should advise the Prime Minister not to even consider opening the spring hunting and trapping season for the benefit of the country, amid warnings from the European Court of Justice which underlined the importance of protecting the EU's common heritage.
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In Discussion
6 Comments
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Patrick Gauci
Jun 30th 2008, 09:09
Dear Mr. Mangion,
You mentioned that FKNK didn't give any justification, scientific or ecological reasoning or data to back up for the four derogations proposals, but where are the Birdlife ones. Birdlife always say that malta is a main migration route and that hunters decimate the majority of migrating birds. This Spring seasonBirdlife Members had to go to Sicily for their observations due to lack of sightings on our Islands even though hunting was banned this Spring. You are asking for justifications from FKNK, but where are your justifications? Where are the millions of birds that are breeding in our Islands that would have otherwise been killed by hunters?
Without the Spring Hunting season the country did not benefit in any way, while the citizens where betrayed from their pre-accession promises that stated that Spring hunting will remain after accession. Can you explain to all of us what where the benefits of not opening the Spring Hunting Season?
Clifford John Williams
Jun 29th 2008, 20:55
Quite right effie, no place for such trash either in Sicily or Malta. Have you written to the authorities/tourist board in Sicily/Italy to complain that your holiday was blighted by these antics to the extent that you were prompted to complain to your local newspaper on your return home?
If we all follow your example we could stop these cowboys-EVERYWHERE !
P.S. Why stop there FKNK ? Why not demand the EU exempt Malta from ALL the rules?-Why?....Because we are only small of course.
Stephen Azzopardi
Jun 29th 2008, 14:57
And you point exactly is effie?
godfrey pisani
Jun 29th 2008, 13:09
hunters demands MAY - should have been in capital letters , why is it that anything that the hunting comunity tries to arrange within the eu frame work has to look like the end of the world , nor the goverment and not even the FKNK will act on anything to create an infringement . i find no problem about people being anti hunting that is there right , but to win public opinion by creating uncertainies and saying half truths is unbearable , BL THE EATING IS IN THE PUDDING , JUST SAY THE TRUTH .
Dion Borg
Jun 29th 2008, 12:37
Whilst condemning the abuses reported by Mr. Carbonaro -
one needs to keep in mind the local relatively restricted area, which is incomparable to Sicily or any of our European counterparts.
effie carbonaro
Jun 29th 2008, 10:57
in a recent visit in sicily to be exact in agira in the comune of enna i noticed during my country walks that the number of hunting infringments made maltese hunters a lot of saints.people running with shotguns in hand in a public lane because they saw a number of prey coming in their sight is a disgraceful picture.were was the law?were was birdlife international? who was keeping a eye on all these infringments and safeguarding not only the life of these prey but human lifes.why has maltese hunters been targeted by birdlife when these trash is taking place in other countries.is birdlife making the same pressure that is making on the maltese goverment to abide by eu hunting laws on sicily too?if these isnt discrimination i dont know what to call it.perhaps cowardice?