Draft regulations launched for public consultation on falconry

The Wild Birds Regulation Unit has launched for public consultation a series of proposals for a draft legislation concerning falconry.

Falconry, which comprises a set of activities related to the rearing, training and flying of birds of prey, including for the purposes of the hunting of quarry species, is a longstanding traditional practice that dates back centuries.

The Unit said that although in Malta's case the EU Birds Directive is transposed into national law by means of the Conservation of Wild Birds Regulations (S.L. 504.71), at present, there are no specific legal provisions regulating the various activities comprising traditional falconry.

Commenting on this public consultation initiative, Parliamentary Secretary Roderick Galdes said the interest in the traditional art of falconry is growing, particularly among the younger generation of falconers, with several voluntary organisations being active in promoting the art of keeping and flying trained birds of prey.

"This sector has the potential for showcasing a traditional rural cultural activity which dates back centuries whilst at the same time also contributing to the build-up of knowledge about, appreciation for, and ultimately concrete action for the conservation of birds of prey. Time is now ripe for this activity to be formally recognised in our legal system, and to be regulated in a modern and sustainable manner," Roderick Galdes added.

Following preliminary discussions held with the local voluntary organisations which promote falconry, as well as with the International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey, several individual falconers and other experts, the Wild Birds Regulation Unit identified the need to address the present regulatory lacuna concerning this activity.

The proposed legislation aims to attain the following main objectives:

1. Provide an appropriate regulatory framework for the practice of falconry in Malta;

and 2. Ensure that the practice is regulated in a manner that would, on the one hand, enable the various activities comprising the art of falconry, whilst on the other hand ensure that the practice is carried out strictly in accordance with national, EU and international law on the conservation of wild birds.

In order to achieve the above aims, the draft regulations propose a legal definition of falconry and associated terms, provide for a number of regulatory controls and licensing regimes for the various aspects of this activity, describe the role of the regulatory authority as well as of organisations representing falconers, and stipulate the parameters such as when, where and how the various activities concerning falconry may be practiced.

Public consultation will be open until the 9th of December 2015. Feedback can be submitted either via an online consultation form available from here ^[1] or via email to wildbirds@gov.mt ^[2].