Birds imported following a hunting trip to Russia last October organised by a police officer were cleared to enter the country by the authorities in breach of rules implemented only a month earlier.
The Wild Birds Regulation Unit – the department set up under Parliamentary Secretary Roderick Galdes to regulate hunting and trapping activities – approved the entry of the ‘goods’ into the country despite the lack of a licence.
The unit told this newspaper it had checked all necessary documentation, including “the examination of the relevant import documentation”. Yet the Economy Ministry, responsible for issuing the licence, had already told The Sunday Times of Malta that no such licence had been issued for the importation of birds from non-EU countries last year.
Mepa also confirmed it had not been informed of any importation of dead birds. The authority’s department responsible for the implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) has to be consulted before such licences are issued by the Economy Ministry. The CITES department is responsible for ensuring the imported species are not protected in their country of origin.
The importation of birds without a licence is a crime – punishable by imprisonment – that police officers are duty-bound to prevent
Despite these two authorities confirming no import licences for birds were issued last year, the WBRU said the imported birds could be cleared by customs. One month earlier, the same unit issued guidelines for these kinds of imports, stating: “An import trade licence issued under the Importation Control Regulations (S.L. 117.14) is required for all bird specimens originating from all third countries.”
The hunting trip was organised “for a bunch of friends” by police officer Richard Cilia who also joined the trip. The importation of birds without a licence is a crime – punishable by imprisonment – that police officers are duty-bound to prevent.
Around five hunters joined him, Mr Cilia said. They brought back into the country 26 birds: four tufted ducks, one mallard, 17 long-tailed ducks, one magpie, one jay and two barnacle geese.
He told this newspaper he had a vet certificate issued by Russian authorities to show the imported birds did not carry diseases, as required by EU law. He also said he had a permit from the Russian authorities to hunt in the country.
Yet this does not remove the need for a proper importation licence for the captured birds to enter Malta as the law demands.
Moreover, the hunting trip to Russia was undertaken via a company owned by Mr Cilia’s brother – Eric Cilia – called Two Wings Limited. The company was officially liquated in 2013, according to records held by the Malta Financial Services Authority. It should therefore have stopped operations.
Mr Cilia is listed as a general consultant to the Hunters Federation (FKNK).
The government department responsible for monitoring hunting and trapping activities is staffed by former council members of the organisation, who were largely recruited without a call for applications.
caroline.muscat@timesofmalta.com