(Adds BirdLife's reaction + government's reply to BirdLife)
Hunters can hunt a maximum of 5,000 quails and 11,000 turtle doves in spring unless they exceed a quota of 20,000 for each species during autumn, according to new legal notice published today.
The legal notice comes after an agreement was reached between the Maltese government and the European Commission. It regulates the mathematical formula through which the limit of turtle dove and quail, that can be shot in spring, is calculated.
The legal notice (113 of 2011) looks into the conservation of wild birds. It states that Malta can only apply a derogation – that allows spring hunting that is not allowed according the EU Birds directive – when the number of quail and turtledove in autumn do not exceed 20,000 and 21,000, respectively.
This is because the EU only allows for a derogation if it is proven that the country had no alternative to spring hunting.
A maximum of 5,000 quail and 11,000 turtle dove can be hunted in spring so long as the amounts set for autumn are not exceeded. If less than 10,000 of each species are hunted in autumn, hunters will be able to hunt the full spring quota.
However, if the number hunted in autumn is over 10,000 the number that can he hunted in spring is reduced from the spring bag limit through inverse proportion.
Speaking in Parliament, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi pointed out that this was a first-time “exceptional” agreement of its kind that the EU ever reached on a spring hunting derogation within the EU.
He said that through this agreement, that came after months of negotiations, Malta was safeguarding the hunting tradition while respecting nature and the environment. He added that the commission had made it clear that this was the “absolute maximum acceptable position”.
He called on hunters to cooperate with this legal notice - that includes enforcement mechanisms – or the consequence will have to be no spring hunting.
Replying to questions by Opposition leader Joseph Muscat, the Prime Minister said that 8,932 hunters had paid their licence to date this year.
Last year, 12,761 hunters and trappers had presented their carnet de chasse.
BIRDLIFE'S REACTION
In a statement, BirdLife said that the amendments were the second such amendments in just a few weeks which were not discussed at the Ornis Committee. This showed that the committee is nothing more than a smokescreen.
These tactics show that the spring hunting issue is a political one, and this was bound to try the Commission's patience, it said.
BirdLife said that the Commission last October issued a letter of formal notice in reaction to Malta's spring hunting framework legislation, however, rather than addressing the Commission's concerns, the government made enforcement even more difficult through this latest legal amendment.
"The government is also misinforming the Maltese taxpayer by stating that they have reached an agreement with the Commission on spring hunting.
"The Commission does not make agreements with member states on derogations and it is the country's responsibility to ensure that any derogations applied are in accordance with EU legislation," it said
BirdLife Malta said it seriously doubted that the Commission would be pleased with the government's current tactics.
GOVERNMENT'S REPLY TO BIRDLIFE
In a reply to BirdLife, the government said that the agreement it reached with the European Commission was for the drawing up of framework legislation for the application of a derogation for the spring hunting of quail and turtle doves in view of the European Court of Justice decision.
It said that the recent legislation also addressed the points brought up by the Commission last October.