Labour MEP John Attard Montalto has asked the European Commission whether it is aware that the 'belatedly pathetic attempt' to eradicate hunting at the behest of extremists, "is having a live-threatening effect on up to 8,000 EU citizens (Maltese bird trappers and their suffering families), who regard this practice as a way of life they cannot do without, to the extent that there have been unexplained deaths?”
His question, focused on the Commission’s approach towards live-bird capturing, was published this morning by the FKNK.
Dr. John Attard Montalto observed that there were no pre-EU accession negotiations regarding the autumn/winter live-capture of non-protected bird species, in particular the turtle dove, the quail, the golden plover and the song thrush, because such practice is not in contravention of the “Birds” Directive regulations. There was never any need to apply a derogation for the continuance of the practise after Malta’s EU Membership.
However Malta still opted to derogate in order to permit this traditional practice.
On 16 June 2011, the Commission sent a Letter of Formal Notice to the Maltese Government, informing it that “the Commission considers that in the case of Maltese trapping derogations, not all the above-mentioned conditions (of derogation) have been met”.
Therefore Dr. Attard Montalto asked:
“1) Having kept silent for 7 years, what prompted the Commission to object now?
2) Other than the biased correspondence submitted by the anti-trapping and anti-hunting BirdLife Malta, shouldn’t the Commission have requested similar correspondence from other interested, affected parties, at the very least from its partner the Malta Government before commencing infringements procedures against Malta?
3) Is the Commission aware that this belatedly pathetic attempt to eradicate a deeply rooted socio-cultural Maltese tradition, at the behest of extremists, is having a live-threatening effect on up to 8,000 EU citizens (Maltese bird trappers and their suffering families), who regard this practice as a way of life they cannot do without, to the extent that there have been unexplained deaths?”
The FKNK thanked Dr. Attard Montalto for this timely intervention and for his continuous support of the Maltese traditional socio-cultural passions of hunting and trapping.