BirdLife Malta has accused the Ornis Committee for “failing nature and children, by approving a spring hunting season and rejecting a buffer zone for protection around schools.”
During Wednesday’s Ornis Committee meeting, BirdLife Malta said that the Federation for Hunting and Conservation’s proposal to open a spring hunting season on the Turtle-dove was accepted “with the support of all members except BirdLife Malta, which voted against, while Environment and Resources Authority, (ERA) abstained.”
In a statement on Thursday, BirdLife Malta said that other proposals by FKNK also went through, including “one to allow the trapping of Turtle-doves, which was supported by all members, including ERA, while BirdLife Malta voted against.”
The NGO noted that “what stood out in contrast was the fact that a proposal tabled over a year ago by BirdLife Malta to create a no-hunting buffer zone of 200m around schools in Malta and Gozo received only BirdLife Malta’s vote, while the rest voted against or abstained.”
It argued that “while beaches, main roads, and cemeteries have such buffer zones, it is unbelievable and disappointing that all those seated at the Ornis table – chosen by the Government of Malta – did not support the inclusion of schools in this list to protect our children.”
“ERA representative Darrin Stevens abstained, stating that he still needed to check the implications of environmental permits – an excuse that comes after over a year of discussions and delaying tactics. Had it not been for the perseverance of BirdLife Malta, this item would have been dropped and never brought to a vote,” stated BirdLife Malta.
“There has never been any doubt that the way the Ornis Committee is designed, it is biased towards the Government’s political will, which today is purely to bend over backwards and please the hunting lobby. What happened in yesterday’s meeting clearly proves this. Rather than having a scientific advisory body, the Government has created a team of ‘Yes Minister,’ making this committee an undemocratic and unbalanced entity,” stated Mark Sultana, Chief Executive Officer BirdLife Malta.
Following the outcomes of yesterday’s meeting, BirdLife Malta said that it is now requesting the Government “not to open a spring hunting season on the vulnerable Turtle-dove, based on the fact that the data provided by the Wild Bird Regulation Unit, WBRU, was mathematically and scientifically incorrect, falsely presenting the Turtle-dove as stable when it is widely known to be in rapid decline in the Central Eastern Flyway.”
BirdLife Malta also urged the Government “not to risk Malta escalating further infringement proceedings with the European Commission, noting that Turtle-dove hunting is already subject to an open infringement procedure, while Turtle-dove trapping had been halted in 2011 following similar infringements.”
BirdLife Malta also called on the Government to “rise above the ridiculous stance taken by Ornis and pass the necessary legal notice to protect schools and students by establishing a 200m buffer zone around them.”
BirdLife Malta concluded by insisting that the Government “redesigns and revamps the Ornis Committee into a science-based body with competent experts, ensuring solid scientific advice rather than a mere rubber-stamping entity.”
Photo: BirdLife Malta – Shot Honey Buzzard Falls in School in Rabat, Malta October, 2024