The announcement of a “deal” made by the government with the European Commission on derogation for spring hunting unequivocally confirms the legality of Maltese spring hunting.
It demolishes the myth about the illegality of spring hunt-ing drummed up by BirdLife Malta.
However, the so-called deal is no deal at all. Notwithstanding Lawrence Gonzi’s bravado “to go all the way on spring hunting”, he chose to leave the stakeholders out of the negotiations, and giving in to pressure from the Commission, concluded a deal little short of yet another farce.
Hunting derogations follow guidelines clearly defined by the EU Commission document Guide For Sustainable Hunting Under The Birds Directive. Its overriding criterion for satisfying the “small numbers” condition is the principle of “one per cent of the natural mortality of the species”.
Both government and commission ignored the document and tailored a “mathematical formula” based on ridiculously low maximum numbers of birds that nullifies the possibility of a satisfactory solution and ridicules the deliberations of the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
The government did not have to negotiate anything but chose to do so to avoid the threat of court proceedings it so vociferously claimed it was prepared to face.
However, Legal Notice 113 of March 28, 2011 not only shows clearly the government’s inability to negotiate properly, but also exposes a Commission that uses two weights and two measures. According to its own studies, between two and four million turtle doves are shot annually in the EU.
Over four million quails are also shot per annum. The Commission is also aware that the ECJ accepted the IUCN evaluation of their conservation status as Least Concern and subsequently voices no objection to such numbers being hunted. The Commission knows, since all Maltese Carnet de chasse records prove it, that the combined annual bags of Maltese hunters recorded for autumn and spring never came close to the one per cent spring derogation benchmark which in its own guidance document is referred to as “negligible” Yet, for several months now, it quibbles with our government over a few thousand turtle doves and quails!
Furthermore, by ignoring its own document, the Commission clearly cannot be bothered to respect its own guidelines when it suits it. That is why in the exceptional case of Malta it had to invent a different formula conditioned by a fictitious maximum figure of huntable birds
The Commission claims its deal is final and Malta’s Prime Minister has said that lack of cooperation by the hunters will lead to there being no spring hunting, meaning that refusal of this “deal” will lose us another spring hunting season.
This following two spring hunting seasons lost thanks to his government’s incorrect application of derogation and another boycotted thanks to his preposterous proposal on how Malta should derogate, a period where we were about to be forced into a lottery to determine whether or not we could hunt.
And now an offer at substantial cost for the chance to hunt less than one bird each thanks to his own dealings. We remind our Prime Minister had he wanted the hunters’ cooperation, he should have sought their advice beforehand.
The hunters have been very patient and will continue to be patient, even when affected by the arrogance of those who should know better.
If this deal is how Malta’s Prime Minister expects to gain the respect of his citizens, we reiterate our point about being patient and remind him that this by far outlives the stubbornness of any man that refuses the offers of dialogue or consultation.