BirdLife and derogation

The news of an illegal trapper being apprehended augurs that this illegal trapper will get what he deserves. Still, this is no excuse for Andrè Raine to intentionally confuse the issue of derogation for the trapping of turtle dove, quail, golden plover and song thrush with any illegal activity. These traditional forms of trapping will be exercised under derogation whether he or BirdLife disapprove because their acceptance depends entirely on the purpose of such derogation being acceptable to the EU and not upon his whining.

As for trapping, Dr Raine persists in stating that "trapping is banned in the EU under the Birds Directive" when, in fact, several states are granted a derogation to trap. Apart from several EU states derogating to trap the same finches that now have become illegal to trap in Malta, a recent TVM feature showed Maltese trappers sent over by the government of Malta to observe trapping methods on plovers in Holland. Is this illegal or is Holland not an EU state? However, as expected, our expert biologist and his friends at BirdLife Malta maintain that anything related to spring hunting or trapping in Malta is illegal.

Their incessant claims that spring hunting is illegal throughout the EU have been discredited by the recent ECJ judgment. Following the outcome of this case, Malta, as is the case with several other states, has been granted the right to derogate for spring hunting.

As for their claimed illegality on trapping, the €175,000 EU grant plus funds from local institutions given to Birdlife Malta have yet to prove their worth in educating trappers about harming biodiversity. Strange how the EU would allocate funds towards educating people about the harm of an illegal activity. One wonders who was behind the agreement that made trapping in Malta illegal and who, apart from BirdLife, has benefited?