10 years ago - The Times
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Ornis Committee meeting: government advised to allow trapping past December 31
The Ornis committee has recommended that the autumn trapping season opens for a period beyond December 31 on the basis of advice given to it by the Attorney General, even though the EU Birds Directive bans trapping after that date.
Under the directive, trapping can only be allowed if Malta justifies a derogation from the Birds Directive with the European Commission, something which, according to Birdlife Malta, the government will not be able to do.
The conservation group insisted yesterday that the dates, if accepted by the government, would be in breach of the directive.
The decision by the committee was taken late on Thursday evening but officially announced yesterday. The committee is advising the Prime Minister (as the minister responsible for the sector) that hunting from land should be allowed from September 1 to January 31, while that at sea should close on the same day but start a month later.
It also recommends that the trapping of seven songbird species as referred to in Malta’s EU accession treaty should be allowed between October 1 and December 31, 2008, when this special derogation in the treaty expires.
25 years ago - The Times
Monday, July 5, 1993
Fresh beef sales ban stays
Meatsellers, who have been on strike for nearly two weeks, are expected to be told by their association’s president to return to work this morning but to maintain their ban on the sale of fresh beef.
“We have made headway in talks with the Pig Breeders’ Cooperative on Saturday, and expect that with the opening of the shops, talks with the government can also resume,” association president Emmanuel Bezzina said yesterday.
The meatsellers would not be selling fresh beef, to keep up their protest, he said.
Meanwhile, Lawrence Gatt, Minister of Agriculture, told members of the Milk Producers’ Cooperative Society yesterday that slaughtering of cows would start this week, and they should emulate the pig breeders and sell fresh beef from the abattoir.
Malta to export meat to EC
The European Community has approved a plan for Malta to start exporting livestock slaughtered to member countries. Agriculture Minister Lawrence Gatt said Malta will start doing so when and if it gets good prices, he told the annual general meeting of the Milk Producers’ Society Ltd. Production of beef was over 1,600 tonnes last year, earning producers Lm2,030,000, he said.
Half a century ago - Times of Malta
Friday, July 5, 1968
Royal visit to Gozo
The Gozitans feel a certain sense of satisfaction when important personages visit Malta and in their programme include a visit to their island, so there is pleasure here that the Prince of Wales will today tour various places, including Ġgantija, informally.
The first royal visit to Gozo was on April 12, 1951, by the Queen, then Princess Elizabeth, during which Her Royal Highness unveiled a tablet at the Victoria Hospital to commemorate the founders of this 250-year-old edifice. Princess Elizabeth later paid a visit to St Joseph Institute at Għajnsielem.
Princess Elizabeth had crossed to Gozo in HMS Surprise with the Duke of Edinburgh and together they toured various villages.
A red letter day for Gozo was May 7, 1954, when Her Majesty unveiled the Gozo War Memorial at It-Tokk, which commemorates Gozo’s fallen in World War II. This was the first occasion of a reigning monarch visiting Gozo.
The Gozitans presented Her Majesty with a small model of a dgħajsa in wood for Prince Charles. The Duke of Edinburgh was in Gozo on his third visit on April 27, 1960, to open the new Qala Government Primary School.
Her Majesty and Prince Philip were in Gozo to lay the foundation stone of a new hospital at Tal-Ibraġġ, overlooking Victoria, on November 16, last year.