“The strategy of watering down and diluting the law that aims to conserve and protect birds continues,” stated BirdLife Malta.
BirdLife said that once again it was the only organisation “standing up for birds on the Ornis Committee.” The committee voted this week on a proposal to reduce fines for those who break the law,” under the pretext of proportionality. With illegalities on the rise, this decision will only benefit those who violate the law.”
“It seems the Government remains weak in the face of those who break and disregard bird protection laws,” the organisation said.
It went on to say that, “it is also astonishing that while the Environment and Resources Authority, ERA voted against establishing a no-hunting buffer zone around schools, it voted in favour of reducing fines for illegal hunting offences. Only BirdLife Malta voted against this proposal.”
“If one were to examine the actual Conservation of Wild Birds Regulations, one would notice the numerous amendments made in recent years. None of these have strengthened the law; instead, they have introduced loopholes and carefully crafted changes that have allowed illegalities to become more widespread,” said BirdLife Malta CEO Mark Sultana.
He warned that, “to make matters worse, enforcement remains extremely weak, and with further legislative changes, it will become even more ineffective. Malta is currently facing an EU infringement procedure due to a lack of enforcement, and this move will only worsen the country’s position.”
“Additional changes are expected, including one that would allow hunters to use faster boats and approach as close as 1 km from the shore, instead of the current 3 km limit,” said Mark Sultana.
He concluded by saying that “the Malta Police Force and the Malta Tourism Authority have already raised safety concerns about this proposal, but we do not expect the responsible ministry to take these concerns seriously. Instead, it is likely to once again yield to the demands of the hunting lobby.”
FKNK statement
The Federation of Hunters and Trappers – Malta (FKNK) has welcomed the approval by the ORNIS Committee of the proposal that, it said, “has been put forward and embraced by the FKNK for a long time regarding the introduction of the principle of proportionality in fines and the reform of the principle of immediate and permanent suspension of licenses in the event of a first breach of a regulation related to hunting or trapping.”
It noted that “this proposal, which has been discussed and promoted by the FKNK for a long time, was approved by all members of the Committee, with the only vote against being that of BirdLife Malta.”
“This reform represents a significant step forward in making the legal framework regulating hunting and trapping in Malta fairer and more proportionate, and better reflecting the principles of justice,” said the FKNK
FKNK expressed its “sincere gratitude to the Ministry of Justice for the collaboration and constructive dialogue that led to this important step.”
FKNK also voiced its appreciation to the Ministry for Gozo and Planning, as well as the Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Public Cleanliness “for their commitment to welcoming this approval through the publication of the respective Legal Notices.”
The FKNK concluded by saying that “following the recent approval of the FKNK proposal on the removal of the bird-ringing monopoly, today’s developments constitute another victory thanks to FKNK’s continuous efforts to achieve a more balanced, fair and respectful regulation of the rights of its thousands of members.”
BirdLife Photo shows a shot White Stork