Close to half of trapping licences for next season were issued to people who had never had one before, according to figures provided by the Animal Rights Parliamentary Secretariat.
This information comes as European Commission sources told Times of Malta that, despite claims by the government and the hunting lobby that local trappers should enjoy the same rights as their European counterparts, there were only two other member states applying trapping derogations.
“In one case, the birds are released after being trapped, so we consider it to be legitimate. The other involves a pilot study but this is being investigated. The Commission treats all member states equally and we’re certainly not singling Malta out for special treatment,” said a spokesman.
We’re certainly not singling Malta out for special treatment
The Commission has launched infringement proceedings against the island over the planned reopening of the trapping season from October 20 to December 31, allowing the catching of seven species of wild finches in addition to golden plover and song thrush.
Out of 4,625 applications received this year, 1,900 were issued to new trappers. The government argues a practice that has been phased out should be reinstated for traditional reasons.
The bulk of the new licences issued were for the trapping of finches – songbirds that are protected. The European Commission is asking the Maltese government to reconsider its decision to resume finch trapping. This practice is prohibited under EU legislation on the conservation of wild birds.
Member states can derogate from the requirement of strict protection only in the absence of other satisfactory conservation solutions and if the conditions for using such derogations are met.
As no such justification exists in this case, according to the Commission, Brussels has decided to send a letter of formal notice, urging Malta to comply with the relevant EU rules and to respond within one month confirming that this has been done.
“A trapping derogation has to be justified according to set criteria and in Malta protected birds will be trapped just for the sake of it.
“There may have been member states applying derogations in the past but proceedings were initiated against them,” Commission sources said, adding that, in their view, this was “a very clear-cut case”.
“In this case, no matter what country it would be happening in, we would be taking action against whichever member state it was.
“You’re only supposed to do it if there are no alternatives but we don’t see any justification for it in Malta. We treat all member states equally,” the sources said.
The government’s advisory body on hunting and trapping, the Ornis committee, has previously advised the government not to seek any derogation on finch trapping, as reflected in decisions in 2009, 2011 and 2012.
Malta was given a transitional arrangement in the EU Accession Treaty to phase out this activity. The arrangement expired in 2008.
An EU project worth €315,793 was implemented between 2009 and 2011 to communicate changes to legislation related to the trapping ban. Half the funds came from Maltese taxpayers.
This year, the Ornis committee recommended the government apply an exemption from EU law. The recommendation was based on an analysis by the Wild Birds Regulation Unit, which amended a set of proposals put forward by the hunters’ federation last August.
The unit falls under the Animal Rights Parliamentary Secretary Roderick Galdes.