Nationalist MP Franco Debono this evening called for a reform of police pensions and also said the police needed better political direction.

Speaking in Parliament during the adjournment, he also reiterated proposals aimed at solving the long-running controversy on bird trapping.

At the opening of speech, Dr Debono referred to replies to various parliamentary questions and said that while progress had been made on the DNA lab, it would have been better had this lab been completed.

He praised the Commissioner of Police but felt the police needed better political direction.

In view of the invaluable work done by the members of the Force, Dr Debono said, pension conditions should be improved, notably in terms of proposals made as far back as 2003.  At present, if a policeman died the day after he retired after 25 years service, his family got nothing.

Dr Debono also insisted that there should be separation between police investigators and prosecutors, and also between Inquiring Magistrates and Magistrates who sat in judgement in court.

He said he had put a parliamentary question on what had become of the inquiry into the death of Bastjan Borg, who died in police custody in 2007, and he expected an answer.

HUNTING AND TRAPPING

Turning to hunting and trapping, Dr Debono said this controversy had raged for 10 years, with some people tackling it not knowing enough about the subject.

This applied particularly to trapping.

Environmental considerations should have priority, he said, and he was glad that Environment Minister Mario de Marco was showing interest in a proposal he was making for sustainable hunting and trapping.

Dr Debono said BirdLife and the FKNK should realise that it was to their mutual benefit to meet and cooperate. He himself was a bird breeder and held this subject at heart and was therefore making a number of suggestions for a possible solution to this long-running controversy.

Bird migration had always fascinated man and it was still not completely known. It was proper that trapping and hunting were regulated, to ensure sustainability.

Malta should host a migration research centre focused on sustainability and migration, possibly using EU funds.The enthusiasm of the hunters and bird-watchers should be channelled for this purpose, he said.

Malta should also work for the reintroduction of species in the wild, such as the barn owl, something which he had already worked for as a parliamentary assistant. Man had banished the barn own from the wild in Malta and should now reintroduce it.

Dr Debono said he was also calling for a new Capture Breeding Programme. The original programme which Malta had had was inadequate, and a proper one was needed. Malta had to do its part if it wanted a derogation for trapping. In this way, the genetic pool of the birds that were trapped was maintained. This programme could be carried out in association with BirdLife and the FKNK in a professional manner.

Bird ringing, Dr Debono said, should be boosted because it was of great help for migration studies.

He said better use should be made of natural reserves. Those who managed the Ghadira Reserve were doing good work, but one should consider new projects, such as having viable colonies of song birds.

Dr Debono said that months ago he handed the prime minister a report suggesting the establishment of such colonies. Such song birds were seen and heard in gardens in Sicily but they were scarce in Malta.

In all his proposals, Dr Debono said, the focus was on protection and conservation of the environment without suffocating the enthusiasm of the trappers. Indeed, there should also be an education campaign on the need to protect the environment. The government and the opposition should seek convergence on this issue.

He was sure that other suggestions could also be made for an eventual solution to the hunting and trapping controversy.

Concluding, Dr Debono spoke about the intellectuals in society. Dr Debono said he did not consider himself as a rebel, but as a reformer.  The great intellectuals were sometimes viewed as rebels because they instigated change. Intellectuals posed questions. They questioned the status quo.  Were the current intellectuals asking enough? Were they being rebels to bring about change?

In this context Dr Debono also paid tribute to Prof Peter Serracino Inglott, describing him as one of the great thinkers of this country.