Environment organisations will be refusing Minister Leo Brincat’s invitation to take a seat on the Climate Action Board, as a sign of protest at the government’s lack of commitment to environmental priorities.
Although the eNGOs realise that formally the planning authority was not under Mr Brincat’s direct responsibility, they still maintain he has done far too little to ward off the worst excesses afflicting the environment.
Mr Brincat’s participation in the three-minister press conference at Ta’ Barkat to justify the take-up of the original large ODZ site at Zonqor is a case in point, five NGOs said in a statement.
This government is hell-bent on appeasing rather than doing the right thing
Similarly, the minister does not seem overly concerned that the Environment Directorate has not been functioning effectively for the last two years, a fact highlighted repeatedly by the eNGOs. The parliamentary debate on the Mepa separation completely exposed the hollowness of the government’s commitment to the environment.
"NGOs were inevitably outnumbered, generally ignored and forced to helplessly watch the rapid degradation of what passes for environmental protection in Malta: the Zonqor debacle, unnecessary high-rise buildings, illegal songbird trapping with hugely inflated catches permitted, new policies that facilitate building in ODZ, the sidestepping of policies to facilitate reclamation, aiding and abetting criminal acts like the stealing of electricity at illegal boathouse shantytowns and the ongoing Montekristo charade."
That frame of mind favouring cooperation was shattered by the developments regarding the new Wild Birds regulations, designed to facilitate hunters’ and trappers’ killing of endangered species, the NGOs said.
These proposals coming from the ministry with responsibility for environment and climate change actions contradict the very ethos of the ministry.
"They are designed specifically to aid and abet the most uncivilised and lawless practices of some hunters and trappers. We maintain that this government is hell-bent on appeasing rather than doing the right thing."
The hypocrisy of allowing the killing of endangered species on the pretext that they are not protected by the EU has caused the Environment Ministry to lose all credibility. This loss has been developing for some time through the activities of Parliamentary Secretary Roderick Galdes; but not even he can refute the fact that allowing rich hunters to import birds killed in South America or Egypt will further undermine the survival of species, they said.
The increasing rate of extinction of several species is a well-established effect of Climate Change, hence the concern in the COP 21 final document:
The “integrity of all ecosystems” is noted, along with “the imperative of biodiversity protection”. It should therefore come as no surprise that under such conditions no respectable eNGO would want to occupy a seat on the Climate Action Board.
The statement was signed by Din l-Art Ħelwa, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Friends of the Earth, Nature Trust Malta and the Ramblers Association.
In a statement this evening, the government said it had already rebutted the claims made by the NGOs about bird conservation.
"While the government believes this is a unique opportunity for environmental organisations to oversee the efforts being made and to offer practical solutions on climate change, it will always remain open for discussions with all stakeholders," it said.
Hunters' condemnation
In a statement later, the Kaccaturi San Ubertu KSU said it noted the "extremism" of certain environment organisations in refusing to participate on the Climate Action Board.
If indeed such organisations have what to offer to Maltese society they would not be turning down this opportunity to put their words in action.
"Citing local issues mainly related to their interpretation of hunting they dismally fail to recognise their involvement was requested in a matter of international concern where globally, serious foreign organisations have contributed unconditionally."