Juvenile Marsh Harrier targeted during the last spring hunting season.

The need to halt biodiversity loss has become one of our main challenges, according to the Environment Minister, but he stressed that spring hunting and trapping does not jeopardise Malta’s sustainable efforts.

Leo Brincat was promoting a new EU initiative to halt biodiversity loss that has been launched by the European Commission inviting citizens to send in ideas on how to address challenges.

The ‘No Net Loss Initiative’ focuses on the need to stop biodiversity decline. It states that losses resulting from human activity must be balanced by gains, although priority is given first to avoiding and preventing negative impacts.

Feedback is being requested on a broad range of topics, including how to ensure that impacts are avoided, minimised and compensated for, and which drivers of biodiversity loss to include.

“The need to halt biodiversity loss has now become one of our and Europe’s main challenges... our main efforts should not be solely directed at minimising such damage but at halting it,” he said.

Whereas compensation for displaced habitats is already a legal requirement of the EU Birds and Habitats Directives, the Commission states there is a need for further action to achieve the objective of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to halt biodiversity loss by 2020.

Hunters have important role in conservation of biodiversity

Mr Brincat described the initiative as commendable, saying it should bind us all. The Sunday Times of Malta asked him how this fits in with the government’s commitment to allow spring hunting and its consideration of a trapping season for protected song birds.

Mr Brincat replied the consultation process was only just launched and he pointed out that any human activity, without exception, invariably results in some form of impact on biodiversity.

He said it was a question of sustainability, and how the social, environmental and economic impacts are controlled.

“It should be noted the EU’s Sustainable Hunting Initiative explicitly recognises the important role of hunters in the management and conservation of biodiversity.

Malta has a strictly-controlled spring hunting season in accordance with EU and national law, the outcome of European Court of Justice judgment, and under close scrutiny from European Commission, the public and NGOs,” Mr Brincat said.

The EU’s Sustainable Hunting Initiative states hunting should not jeopardise conservation efforts and requires the activity complies with the principles of ‘wise use’ and ecologically balanced control.

The Birds Directive prohibits hunting during the birds’ migration to breeding grounds and during the breeding season, and it requires the fulfilment of very strict conditions to derogate from these rules.

Feedback can be sent via the Environment Directorate-General’s website until September 26.