Seminar to discuss alternatives to bird trapping - BirdLife

One of the topics of an international seminar on bird trapping, to be held in Malta next week, will be alternatives to bird trapping, BirdLife Malta said in a statement today.

A Belgian ex-trapper who shifted his hobby to captive finch breeding when Belgium banned finch trapping, will share his experience with the audience.

"The project does not aim to abolish finch trapping as this is already banned in Malta in line with EU Accession Treaty Agreement. This ban naturally created frustration among Maltese trappers as the reason behind it was not communicated to trappers by the Maltese government during the five-year phasing out period," BirdLife Malta Campaigns Coordinator Geoffrey Saliba said.

Mr Saliba referred to a statement issued yesterday by the hunters' federation, saying the federation was telling its members not to take part in any dialogue which would help trappers form their own opinion and divert their enthusiasm for birds to other hobbies.

The seminar is being organized by the EU LIFE+ Project on Bird Migration and Trapping. The participants will include Professor Bruno Massa, from the University of Palermo and Patrick Wegerdt from the Infringements Unit of the European Commission.

BirdLife said trapping is not permitted throughout the EU under the Birds Directive. When Malta joined the EU it negotiated a five year phasing out period for the trapping of seven finch species. This period ended in December 2008 and the finch trapping season did not open this year in line with the Accession Treaty agreement.

During the seminar a range of topics will be discussed, including finch migration and populations in the central Mediterranean islands, law enforcement relating to trapping and the legal situation regarding trapping in other EU member states.