Mepa’s defence over bird study

The planning authority yesterday said the delay in a study of bird migration numbers was down to time constraints and limited resources.

The Times yesterday reported that a study requested by Brussels to monitor bird migration during the spring hunting season missed its deadline because the Malta Environment and Planning Authority asked for quotations two days after the season opened.

But Mepa said in a statement that the bird study referred to was intended to monitor the passage of quails and turtle doves over Malta until mid-May and not just during the spring hunting season as suggested in the article.

However, Mepa’s terms of reference specifically states that this study “shall be carried out from the start of the spring hunting open season” and extend to two weeks after its closure.

Mepa’s statement said “there is no obligation on Malta to conduct such a study, nevertheless it was decided by the government to carry it out”.

When asked by The Sunday Times why the study was being carried out if there was no obligation from Brussels, the spokesman said “it had been recommended”.

The authority said it was requested to carry out a scientific study on April 4, six working days before the opening of the hunting season on April 13.

It said it immediately began to work on terms of reference for the study, which needed to be outsourced due to its technical nature.

Procurement regulations for the commissioning of the study also had to be followed, and the terms of reference were subsequently issued on April 15.

“The time constraints for the commissioning of this scientific study were very tight, and the independent expertise and resources available to carry out such a study are limited,” Mepa said.