BirdLife wants Ornis chairman’s head to roll

BirdLife Malta has called for the resignation of Louis Cilia, chairman of the Ornis committee, following what it described as his “surprise” proposals for an extended 2012 spring hunting and trapping season.

I am a retired man, so I don’t really need this trouble but I think it should be the government that considers BirdLife’s request

“Only two days before today’s scheduled meeting of the Ornis committee, Mr Cilia sent his recommendations to the committee members, giving scant time for consideration of the document,” BirdLife said.

In a letter to Mr Cilia, BirdLife said: “You, as the Ornis chairman, in your current capacity to draft recommendations for a spring hunting and trapping derogation in 2012, lack a basic realisation of the facts and understanding of conservation science and EU legislation concerning the conservation of wild birds.”

When contacted, Mr Cilia said he would not object to his removal but added that it would have to come from the government. “I am a retired man so I don’t really need this trouble but I think it should be the government that considers BirdLife’s request.”

BirdLife accused Mr Cilia of recommending the opening of a spring hunting season even though the carnet de chasse figures for last autumn had not yet been published.

Under Legal Notice 113 of 2011, which sets out the general framework for spring hunting, the opening of a spring hunting season for turtle dove and quail is dependent on the number of such species killed during the preceding autumn season.

Mr Cilia defended himself on this point, saying he had made recommendations on the basis of provisional figures for autumn given to him by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority. “Those figures will now be confirmed and circulated among the members of the Ornis committee. However, I made a note that the recommendations were based on provisional figures.” He also stressed that the proposals were just that, suggestions, which should be up for discussion at the committee meeting today.

BirdLife protested that Mr Cilia recommended a maximum allowable number for both species and an extension of the season by three days compared to 2011. In addition, he proposed the complete removal of any daily bag limits previously established as a strict supervision condition.

“These recommendations completely disregard the reaction by the European Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik, who, during his visit in Malta in July 2011, stated that there was no room for relaxing the restrictions imposed on the spring hunting season of 2011,” BirdLife said.

“Moreover, only a few weeks after Malta received yet another legal warning from the Commission about its autumn trapping derogation, the Ornis chairman, without any scientific or legal justification, is recommending an additional derogation for the spring trapping of turtle dove and quail, which has been banned since 2008. Such a recommendation is very likely to land Malta at the European Court of Justice.”

On this point, Mr Cilia said that he took his lead from the legal framework put in place by the government, pointing out that the 2011 legal notice allowing a limited spring hunting season was still active.

BirdLife accused Mr Cilia of making biased recommendations without providing any evidence and which also assumed that the hunting community in Malta embodied self-regulation.

“We strongly believe that the Ornis chairman position should be filled by someone who has a strong understanding of conservation science and EU legislation and who can distance himself from the political agenda surrounding the issue.”

In view of the recommendations by Mr Cilia, BirdLife said it would not be attending today’s Ornis committee meeting, which would be discussing the recommendation for a spring hunting and trapping season.