The hunting season has been suspended until October 10 after “criminal people continuously targeted protected species”, the government said yesterday in a surprise announcement.
The closure of the season coincides with the period when Malta’s performance on hunting and trapping will be under intense EU scrutiny.
The grilling of EU Commissioner-designate Karmenu Vella will take place on September 29, and a delegation from the European Commission is expected in Malta on October 9 to review the situation with spring hunting and finch trapping.
Several reports of shooting on protected species have been reported since the autumn hunting season started on September 1.
The government said its decision should serve as a warning to all hunters to collaborate with police to help catch “these criminals”, some of whom are even making money out of illegal hunting.
It claimed law enforcement was at the highest levels but some people still thought they could do as they please. Police and court action had not served as a deterrent and drastic action was therefore needed.
The move was welcomed by the Nationalist Party, Alternattiva Demokratika, Din l-Art Ħelwa, Birdlife Malta and the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS).
CABS said: “We take our hat off to the Prime Minister”, acknowledging it must have been a tough call, “but the situation was really out of control in parts of the island.”
Birdlife also commended the government’s willingness to take steps when hunters disrespected the law. The organisation also pointed out that the period the season was closed would help shift attention away from illegalities while Malta was under intense scrutiny at EU level.
The situation was really out of control
While insisting a referendum on spring hunting must be held in March, Birdlife also called for an urgent review of the law, saying the elimination of the 3pm curfew had resulted in an escalation of illegal hunting.
The Nationalist Party also said that the removal of the curfew was a “bad decision” but specified that the transfer of officers from the police’s Administrative Law Enforcement Unit had sent a message that the government would tolerate offenders.
AD said the increasing incidents were a “logical consequence” of the Labour Party’s message to hunters into believing they could do as they pleased.
In a statement, the hunters’ federation and Kaċċaturi San Umbertu condemned the suspension of the season as “collective punishment” for the mistakes of a minority.
FKNK said the government’s move “can never be accepted in a civilised society” and declared it is suspending its participation from all official related bodies. The organisation also said it may take legal action and may also consider other measures of protest. It accused the government of giving in to criminals rather than continue strengthening legal hunting,
While expressing similar criticism of the government’s decision, Kaċċaturi San Umbertu said it looked forward to Karmenu Vella’s appointment as European Environment Commissioner.
“We look forward to Malta setting the example of how the plague of wildlife crime throughout all EU member states is to be tackled in a more appropriate manner,” it said.
Meanwhile, the Animal Rights Parliamentary Secretariat yesterday contested reports that another stork had been shot, saying a poacher was apprehended on Friday within Majjistral Park after shooting a protected dotterel. Investigations are ongoing, the secretariat said.