The success rate for individuals who sat an exam to acquire trapping licences was almost 100 per cent, an impossible achievement were it not for the fact that they all faced the same exam paper.
The process for acquiring the licence was changed last year, from an interview to a written examination. The same paper was used for all the exams, including those who failed and had to do a re-sit.
The exam paper, which was included in the derogation report submitted to the European Commission to justify the opening of the spring hunting season, was available online until recently. It was then removed but The Sunday Times of Malta managed to acquire a copy.
In total, 2,122 applicants sat for the licensing examination in 22 sessions, according to the report. Each exam session lasted one hour and consisted of a written multiple choice test. The exam paper consisted of two parts: the first dealt with applicable regulations while part two dealt with a species identification test.
Applicants who either failed to show up for the exam or failed were allowed to re-sit
Applicants who either failed to show up for the exam or failed were allowed to re-sit. Out of the 2,122 who applied, only nine failed. Following the re-sit sessions held on September 26 in Malta and October 3 in Gozo, everyone who sat for the exam passed.
These were new licences issued for the finch trapping season which was opened again last year despite a warning by the European Commission that it was in breach of EU regulations. In total, there were 4,168 trappers, with the rest already having a licence.
This newspaper revealed yesterday that less than a quarter of trappers were subjected to spot checks during the last autumn season, according to the derogation report.
A total of 956 spot checks were conducted during the autumn trapping season which lasted over two months. This means only 23 per cent of trappers were physically checked at least once to ensure they were abiding by conditions.
This is the first time the figures are being reported after the government defied the EU and opened a trapping season for finches last year. Malta has now received a second warning from the European Commission before facing the European Court of Justice.
The report is necessary for the government to justify its decision to open a finch trapping season despite the EU warning. Malta has to prove it met the necessary criteria, including having strict supervision.
The enforcement authorities deployed 57 officers to monitor trappers, according to the report. The bulk of the monitoring consisted of vehicle patrols in the areas where trapping was occurring, what are referred to as “site inspections”.
The report lists a big number of these site inspections – 6,595 – to make the point that effective monitoring was in place. The report does not explain the difference between a site inspection and a spot check – a fact law enforcement officials told The Sunday Times of Malta was “misleading”.
The number of trappers apprehended for breaching the rules in a season that lasted from October 20 till the end of the year stood at 38, but only 18 faced criminal prosecution for illegalities.