[attach id=259949 size="medium"]Locations have been identified for more shelters to protect horses from the sun, Roderick Galdes said last night. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi[/attach]
Pet shops, animal sanctuaries and boarding kennels will be regulated by three legal notices that the Government will publish shortly.
The announcement was made by Animal Rights Parliamentary Secretary Roderick Galdes last night during a public consultation meeting at Castille.
He did not elaborate on the content of the legal notices.
Addressing concerns raised by animal lovers, Mr Galdes said locations were identified where horse shelters will be erected to protect cabby horses from the sun.
“In the coming days we will start installing these shelters even in localities where they have never had any, such as Sliema, St Julian’s and St Paul’s Bay,” he said.
However, Mr Galdes skirted a question from the floor on whether the Government will open an autumn season for finch trapping and whether it will decide to lift the afternoon ban on hunting in September.
We have to ensure better enforcement and education
In a vague reply he said technical issues were best discussed in the Ornis Committee, a consultative body that includes hunters and conservationists.
Mr Galdes insisted that all actions were in line with EU directives, adding the Government had a zero tolerance approach to illegality.
“We have to ensure better enforcement and education,” Mr Galdes said, adding emphasis was put on greater enforcement in this year’s spring hunting season.
Answering a question from a Birdlife campaigner, Mr Galdes said discussions on the creation of a wildlife crime unit had started but could not give a date by when it will be set up.
At the same meeting Environment Minister Leo Brincat spoke about clean air and said the Coast Road will have a cycle lane. He stated the Government will also shortly reveal its plan on green jobs.
Mr Brincat revealed that he has appointed environmentalist Edward Mallia to lead a team of experts to investigate the operations of the Sant’Antnin recycling plant in Marsascala.
“We gave him a blank cheque, actually not really because he will not get paid, but a free hand to study the operations at Sant’Antnin and also determine why the plant is not generating as much energy as was promised,” Mr Brincat said.
He said there were other investigations about operations at Wasteserv, the Government waste management agency, and reiterated that the reports will be published.
Throughout the meeting at Castille the two Cabinet members listened to a number of complaints and suggestions from different people hailing from various sectors.
They had to deal with issues from cow dung to recycling, from problems facing domestic food producers to the lack of scholarships for veterinary students.
ksansone@timesofmalta.com