Notwithstanding the prime reason for securing EU life funds, namely the “great damage to populations of songbirds arriving on the island” by trapping activities never being proven, BirdLife Malta continues to spin around facts and misinform the public (Number Of Trapping Licences Halved, September 28). The latest spin came from its projects manager, Geoffrey Saliba, who triumphantly announced statistics based on BLM’s recent conclusion of an EU Life+ funded project on bird migration and trapping.

BLM concluded that a 42 per cent drop in licensed trappers was recorded in a three-year period from 2008 up to this month. BLM fails to inform the public that new trapping licences have been suspended since August 2002, when a five-year moratorium had been imposed by the government of the time. Had it not been for this government-imposed moratorium, which denied the possibility of anyone obtaining a trapping licence, the actual percentage drop due to any of BirdLife’s efforts would have been even more insignificant than claimed.

This moratorium ended in August 2007, when all studies on trapping would have been concluded (as promised) and eventually new trapping licences issued (as promised). These never materialised and new trapping licences, against all guarantees, have not been issued to date. The 42 percentile therefore includes trappers who have refused to pay the licence due to the cessation of live finch capture in 2008; these trappers see no reason in paying the licence when all that had been promised to them never took place. What’s the use of paying one’s car licence when one is not allowed to drive!

The 42 percentile also includes natural wastage; these last three years have spelt untold suffering for the live finch trappers, to have one’s way-of-life abruptly severed in such bullish fashion has led some to an early grave, my very own uncle included. It also includes a proportion of septuagenarians, who have called it a day when witnessing that all their legitimate expectations have been so abruptly terminated and they do not have the strength or will to continue or even comprehend why they have been labelled criminals.

According to BLM statistics 411 trappers (nine per cent) were interviewed face to face, and some agreed on an alternative. The “some” out of 411 or nine per cent does not include one out of Federation for Hunting and Conservation’s (FKNK) 5,000 trapper members, all of which have participated in a survey directed at this purpose. The purported figure is extremely vague, a non-starter and leads one to question whether it is fictitious.

BLM should inform the public that the EU Birds Directive specifically underlines that any action undertaken (in this case trapping) is not allowed when there is a satisfactory alternative solution.

BLM, according to its findings, only state that alternatives to trapping were presumably accepted by “some” trappers out of 411. Apart from listing alternatives totally unrelated to bird trapping, mostly practised by those not engaged in trapping activities, the remaining 1,500-something and the other 58 per cent or 2,643 licensed trappers do not see a satisfactory alternative solution to their way of life, as stipulated by the EU Birds Directive and thus the 58 per cent continue to pay their respective permits.

Mr Saliba continues to add that FKNK was approached for talks, which the same FKNK accepted and sent two officials, myself included.

There was one introductory meeting, initially, held informally at a local restaurant. Mr Saliba and Andre Raine (BLM biologist at that time) were present, Ray Cordina and I represented FKNK and the trapper members. Indeed the meeting was very cordial but the only positives BLM can claim is that it refused adamantly to concede an inch to our requests for dialogue on whether trapping could continue legally and according to EU parameters; it only wanted total abolition. Seeing that there was no common ground to continue this so-called dialogue FKNK opted not to meet. One does not pretend to have a “positive” bilateral dialogue when a party wants to impose its agenda that leaves no other option for discussion open to the other party

FKNK accepted to participate only in the interest of the trappers, no more no less. Again BLM misled the public when it stated that further dialogue is envisaged. This is gross inconsistency from BLM simply because an innumerable amount of public dialogues were held throughout these last years where both FKNK and BLM were invited, yet infallibly BLM repeatedly refused to participate in FKNK’s presence!

While FKNK will continue to lobby for the continuance of live bird capture, within the EU legislation, BLM fails to remind the public that they themselves acknowledge that trapping can continue under the Birds Directive, a fact that it itself declared in writing on one of its recent EU Life+ funded propaganda and in the news item.

Trapping can be legally carried out by the application of derogation.

This fact is also collaborated by the Commission Representation in Malta that recognises an equal right for Maltese trappers to derogate no less than their fellow trappers in other EU states.

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