[attach id=246936 size="medium"]Photo: Jason Borg[/attach]
Birdlife Malta has expressed fears of a “free-for-all” upon learning spring hunting licence applications rose by a third after the removal of a special registration fee.
It warned that the 9,500 licence applications received by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority could overwhelm the “ill-equipped” police administrative law enforcement unit, which is tasked with monitoring hunting and trapping.
According to the Birds Directive, a minimum of seven enforcement officers should be provided for every 1,000 hunters during hunting hours. The unit has 18 officers, falling short of the 66 legally required to monitor the hunting season that opened yesterday, Birdlife explained.
Last year, Birdlife raised concerns about the number of police officers deployed in the field.
An unpublished study it conducted indicated that the unit was unable to meet the minimum requirement of 42 officers to monitor the spring hunting population that numbered 6,110 hunters.
During spring hunting, district police officers were also deployed to assist with the task.
Birdlife executive director Steve Micklewright said: “The apparent last-minute allocation of new staff to the Administrative Law Enforcement clearly demonstrates the new Government was not prepared for stepping up enforcement in line with the huge increase in the number of spring hunting licences.”
Birdlife said the unit would again not be operating in Gozo. The Environment Ministry is considering liaising with the Armed Forces of Malta to assist in policing duties during the hunting season across both Malta and Gozo.
Mr Micklewright noted: “These feel like desperate measures from a government that promised a spring hunting season for all but which has failed to ensure the required enforcement.”
The hunters’ federation, FKNK, has warned members that illegalities would not be tolerated and has appointed field marshals to report any breaches.
It warned it would take drastic disciplinary action against any member breaching regulations, including revoking membership, meaning the person would not be able to renew the hunting licence.
FKNK is encouraging the public to report any irregularities on a specially designated telephone number: 119.