Ornis chairman refuses to circulate recommendation to ministry - BirdLife

Malta Ornis Committee chairman Louis Cilia has refused to circulate his official recommendations to the ministry for this year's spring hunting derogation, BirdLife Malta said today.

BirdLife said in a statement the Ornis Committee is bound by law to make recommendations to the Environment Minister on matters related to hunting, which must be subject to input from Ornis committee members, who then vote on the final recommendations to be submitted to government.

Last March, BirdLife Malta requested the resignation of the chairman after he drafted recommended the opening of a spring hunting and trapping season and gave Ornis members only two days to review and comment on the proposal.

"The chairman has since refused to share with the rest of the committee the final recommendations he gave the minister, despite filing his proposal on behalf of the committee.

"BirdLife twice requested a copy of the final recommendations to compare it with the ministry's decision."

The Ornis secretary referred BirdLife to the minutes of the Ornis meeting, adding that the final recommendation would not be circulated by email "due to leaks of documents on previous occasions".

Asked whether the recommendation would be circulated by other means, BirdLife Malta was informed that the Ornis secretary had received directions not to circulate the recommendation.

"By censoring his recommendation to the minister, the chairman further confirms his authoritarian stance with pushing forward the government's agenda on spring hunting.

"It is about time that he leaves his post to someone who believes in a democratic and transparent process and who has at least a basic understanding of the Birds directive and conservation science," stated BirdLife Malta.