Friday, 3rd April 2009 - 13:54CET
Bird protection efforts praised at BirdLife activity
Niki Gravino represented Malta with the statement: "The EU Birds Directive is a great tool which prevents over-exploitation of our natural heritage and ensures that spring migration over Malta is an ordeal of survival not death". Photo: Alexandra Pace.
Efforts to conserve Europe’s threatened natural heritage received support from high-level decision makers in Brussels yesterday night, BirdLife said.
The support was given during a BirdLife International event celebrating the 30th anniversary of the EU Birds Directive.
“It is self-evident that protecting birds needs effective international cooperation and it was therefore no coincidence that the Wild Birds Directive was the first piece of EU Environmental legislation dedicated to nature conservation,” Environment EU Commissioner Stavros Dimas said.
On behalf of the EU Presidency, Czech deputy environment minister František Pelc, congratulated Europeans for 30 years of bird protection.
On a video message, African conservationists from Burkina Faso conveyed their gratitude to the EU for protecting African birds during their summer stay in Europe.
Messages in support of the Birds Directive and photos from 36 personalities from 16 EU member states were displayed.
The list includes former Prime Minister of the Netherlands Ruud Lubers, Italian MTV presenter Paola Maugeri, British wildlife presenters Chris Pakham and Kate Humble, Lithuanian MEP Aloyzas Sakalas and award winning artist Niki Gravino from Malta among others.
In his statement in support of the Birds Directive Niki Gravino said: “The EU Birds Directive is a great tool which prevents over-exploitation of our natural heritage and ensures that spring migration over Malta is an ordeal of survival not death.”
Scientific studies show that the Birds Directive already helped many birds to recover their populations in Europe. However, more than 40 percent of long-distance migratory bird species have declined in the last three decades and are continuing to decline, Birdlife said.
It welcomed the Commissioner’s statements the Commissioner in favour of the Birds and Habitats directives and said that misconceptions and attacks on EU’s nature protection directives from some stakeholders and politicians had to be overcome since they did not make at a time of environmental and economic crisis.
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Comments
of course!!! when it is almost dried up, they pump in water haha
at least I know that the ghadira nature reserve does not dry up by end of spring!
Birdlfie Malta seems to be forgetting that the Bird Directive is also a tool for hunters to ensure that their passion of hunting birds is regulated in a proper manner ensuring that the birds they hunt are sustainable.
Indeed all the birds listed in Annex2 of this directive are all huntable birds. Birds that can be shot.
It is also meant to be a directive that also allows for derogation like hunting in certain states that have no "satisfactory solution" as in the case of Malta.
The only trouble is that Birdlfie and all its friends in the EU manipulate this directive to suit their purpose apart from Ignoring all other agreements that should be ensure a balance between bird protection and hunting.
Unlike other Birding societies birdlife have never supported legal hunting if they did they would acknowledge that this directive is also an invaluable tool for the hunter.
And by the way What does Nicky Gravina know about birds? The feathered type might I add.
you seem to possess a great knowledge about species that try to nest on these islands! Can you name them for us cause as far as i know even the nature reserve at ghadira dries up by the end of spring! I am bewildered by your findings, can you elaborate pls???
This years singer chosen is rising star NIKI GRAVINO who decided to take sides in this never ending war.
Anyway these are just details and tactics which BLM use in order to attract the rising generation to their half truths so let it be.
What one needs to mention is that this was a Birdlife Activity so what one expects is an array of praise and congratulations for the funds received and for their fine marketing strategies.
This said with the occasional picture of a wounded bird or an oviparous coot magnified to a boisterous size just to make sure one believes they made a difference.
Please note that while boasing the Birds Directive and They themselves made a difference in the same activity BL keep stating that birds are declining just to make sure the funds keep on coming. Hopefully people will realise that these guys are in it for the money, nothing more but surely nothing less.
What should be done is the permanent confiscation of the weapon, a six figure fine and a week prison for the perpetrator so the lesson is broadcast for all other aspiring hunters.
No wonder they took Malta to the ECJ with all these "friends"!
No wonder they knew about the ECJ interim measures last year (although they're not even participants in the case!) BEFORE the Maltese Government did!
No wonder they are able to continue blackening Malta's name all over the world!
No wonder they blow up isolated incidents out of all proportion!
And the irony is that they hardly ever mention pesticides, pollution, over-development, loss of habitat, climate change, intensive farming practices etc. But then, pointing the finger at hunting and trapping makes it SOOOO much easier to attract funding and stir up emotions, doesn't it?
Stay tuned, folks! Next batch of horror stories due soon..........courtesy of CABS this time.
We end up with illegal immigrants from Burkina Faso and now they are worried about birds? Oh come on get real and stop this ridiculous campaign against the Maltese islands.
How about putting all this effort in bringing the horrible problem that is being created with illegal immigration? If half the fuss is made about the deaths of hundreds of human beings (this happened only this week dear readers) as compared to this silly propaganda that is being put on against Malta then it would make sense!!!!!
I am totaly against illegal hunting and i accept the fact that there are some criminals who shoot at protected birds but tiny Malta is blatantly obviusly not the cause for the decline in bird population. Bigger problems are present in other EU countries such as Germany, Spain, Italy, Hungary and many others.
Did anyone watch this documentary it was two weeks ago on italian TV on GEo Geo. please tell Gov of Mlata is sueing The producers over this.
BAN ALL ILLEGAL HUNTING