A government proposal to grant amnesty to hunters in possession of protected stuffed birds was shot down by Birdlife.
The proposal was on the agenda of the Ornis Committee, a government hunting advisory board, which met yesterday. It formed part of a wider discussion to increase penalties for illegal hunting to €100,000.
The amnesty proposed by the Wild Birds Regulations Unit would mean hunters pay a one-off €500 and €50 for every stuffed bird they declared. They would also be allowed to keep the birds.
Birdlife strongly condemned the amnesty, insisting it would pardon hunters for past acts of illegal killing.
This contrasted with the current fine for possession of protected species, which is as much as €2,500 and confiscation of the specimen, Birdlife said.
Government has reneged on its declaration of zero tolerance
Standing in front of Hexagon House in Marsa, where the planning authority’s environment unit is headquartered, Birdlife director Steve Micklewright said the collection of stuffed birds was a major driver for illegal hunting.
“This is no way of stopping illegal hunting; this is a way to make problems worse,” he said.
Mr Micklewright said the government had reneged on its previous declaration that it adopted a zero tolerance attitude towards illegal hunting. The proposal demonstrated a complete acceptance, he added.
A similar amnesty was given in 2003 and before that in 1998, prompting Birdlife to question their effectiveness.
In 2003, the authorities had not even verified hunters’ declarations by inspecting the collections, it said.
In the two amnesties, more than 400,000 stuffed birds were declared.
“These continuous amnesties send the message to hunters that they can continue to illegally shoot birds, such as eagles or flamingos, because the government will pardon you again in a few years’ time for a small fee.
“It’s completely unacceptable,” said Birdlife conservation manager Nicholas Barbara.
He said the hunter who had shot down a stork and caused a furore in September could have possibly escaped justice with such an amnesty, had he not been caught.
“The hunter was fined by the court but, had he not been caught, he would have held on to the illegal bird in his collection and benefited from this amnesty, if the government approves it,” Mr Barbara said.
Birdlife called on the government to act and ensure that the amnesty was not granted.
The Ornis Committee can only make recommendations. The government would then have to decide whether to take them on board, reject them or implement something different.
The government had promised a substantial increase in fines when it temporarily closed the autumn hunting season. This was in September and October, after the repeated killing of protected birds.
The move was strongly condemned by hunters, since it was the first time a government clamped down on the autumn hunting season.
An unauthorised protest by irate hunters in Valletta turned sour as journalists were accosted. Subsequently, a group of hunters drove to Buskett and attacked birdwatchers.
Several people are facing court charges over the incidents.
kurt.sansone@timesofmalta.com