The European Commission is seeking clarifications from the Government on adjustments to the spring hunting regulations, as hundreds of hunters hit the countryside today when the season officially opens.
The European Commission expects the Maltese authorities to take all necessary measures
Brussels is keeping a close eye on hunters’ actions and on Maltese enforcement authorities to ensure there is no breach of any exemptions Malta was granted to the Birds Directive.
Despite the hunting community’s high expectations ahead of the March 9 election, the Government has so far decided to retain the limits set by the previous Nationalist Administration on the amount of birds hunted and on the times during which hunters can practise their hobby.
Some minor changes were made though, particularly the removal of a €50 fee for a special spring licence and the elimination of an obligatory armband worn by hunters.
“The Commission’s understanding was that the licence fee and the mandatory identification armband had originally been introduced as an integral part of the strict supervision system envisaged for the spring hunting derogation in Malta,” the spokesman said.
“The Commission is therefore in contact with the Maltese authorities to get clarifications as to how the conditions set out in the national legislation have been complied with when deciding to open the 2013 spring hunting season.”
The changes permitted so far fall short of hunters’ expectations.
Though describing them as positive, they have said they fall some way short of what was included in an agreement signed with the Labour Party days before last month’s general election.
On its part, the Government said it gave hunters what was possible for the time being as it had no time to carry out the necessary studies to justify further changes – particularly raising the national bag limit – which hunters are demanding.
Asked whether Brussels would be monitoring the situation on the ground, the spokesman said that although this was the job of the national authorities, it would also be carefully looking at reports by interested parties, particularly environment lobbyists.
“The Commission expects the Maltese authorities to take all necessary measures to make sure the conditions of the derogation are strictly observed,” the spokesman said. “To this end, we will carefully consider all reports received from all stakeholders,” he added.
These will include reports filed by the German-based CABS (Committee Against Bird Slaughter), which yesterday announced the deployment of Operation Skyfall, a 20-strong bird guards ‘army’ looking out for illegal hunting.
CABS said it had already written to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat promising “it would employ every legal means to put an end to spring hunting in Malta”.
Hunting in spring is not allowed in the EU. However, following a European Court of Justice decision in 2009, Malta was allowed an exemption from EU law for a “short” and “restricted” season under strict supervision.
The hunters’ federation, FKNK, accused the former Nationalist Administration of wrongly applying the derogation and is expecting Labour to ‘”remedy” the situation by easing the rules in place.