2 comments so far.Opening the trapping season will be “taking trappers for a ride” – BLM
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BirdLife Malta, in a statement today has said that, despite last month’s European Court of Justice (ECJ) landmark judgement which ruled that Malta failed to fulfil its obligations under EU law when it allowed finch trapping, last week the Ornis Committee recommended the opening of a trapping season for Golden Plover and Song Thrush in October.
BLM added that, “if approved, the next trapping season will be taking trappers for a ride and risking another EU court case,”
BirdLife Malta, said that it was the only organisation on the Ornis Committee, that voted against the derogation allowing trapping.
BirdLife went on to say that during the meeting held on Wednesday the 25th of July, it reminded the other members of Ornis that “the ECJ ruling on finch trapping has direct implications on the trapping of any other species, especially when the same derogation being discussed (that of Golden Plover and Song Thrush) already is the subject of infringement proceedings.”
It added that the Wild Birds Regulation Unit (WBRU) also briefed the Ornis Committee about the Malta Attorney General’s opinion which has identified various risks of opening a trapping season this year following the ECJ judgement.
“Among the risks identified is the EU Court’s conclusion that the use of clap-nets is not a selective means of capture for two reasons: they can catch other birds, and they can catch a number of birds higher than the permitted quotas.”
BirdLife said that for this, the Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FKNK) has recommended the use of a larger mesh size for the Golden Plover and Song Thrush.
In this regard, BirdLife Malta said that it clearly highlighted the risk that “increasing mesh size to avoid the capture of smaller birds will still not eliminate the unselective methodology, since other protected birds of the same size or larger than Golden Plovers and Song Thrush could be caught.”
“This does not do justice also with the fact that nets remain a very effective means of capture as the ECJ verdict concluded,” BirdLife added,”this is clearly stated in the European Birds Directive as a reason why trapping is banned in Europe.”
BLM said that also during the meeting the The Environment & Resources Authority (ERA) expressed its concern over the amount of nets that will be utilised during the season, which the ECJ verdict has also identified as a source of bycatch. While the FKNK is recommending that nets are covered during the night, the Authority “was sceptical such a measure would be sufficient,” said BLM.
FKNK recommended that, “enforcement would be expended,” BirdLife said, “yet the Committee has not yet consulted with the Police Force or any other enforcement authority over how such enforcement needs would be met.”
The ECJ judgement concluded that the fact that merely 23% of trappers were subject to individual spot checks was not enough of a measure to ensure the strict supervision requirement demanded by the derogation.
BirdLife Malta also voiced serious concerns over FKNK’s insistence that “all licensed trappers, including those that up until last year were interested only in the trapping of finches, would be allowed to trap Golden Plover and Song Thrush this year.”
BirdLife Malta highlighted the point to the Committee that this will simply be “a smokescreen for trappers to trap finches illegally.”
“This was one of the reasons why the European Commission also opened the infringement in 2011 with two warnings already made on this very same issue. It warned that any abuse during this season would mean Malta would be referred to the European Court of Justice once again,” said BirdLife Malta.
The final decision now lies solely on the Environment Minister and the Prime Minister. BirdLife Malta said that it will make its concerns clear to both the Government and the European Commission.
BirdLife Malta concluded by saying that it “remains hopeful that with the ECJ judgement still fresh in everyone’s minds, the decision to open a trapping season in October will be revoked by the Government in the light of the AG’s concerns and BirdLife Malta’s advice which was backed by the ECJ verdict.”
Song Thrush and Golden Plover – Photos by BirdLife Malta
Why cant these savage, neanderthal useless human detritus leave the killing and trapping of poor birds alone. They make me puke.
Twenty years ago we were about to sign on the dotted line to buy a fantastic house on Santa Lucia ridge when some Neanderthal oaf with a shotgun stood on the roof, fired off both barrels killing a pigeon that fell on to the roof and bounced off into the pool. End of dream of owning and living in Bozo. Lived in Italy ever since. Returned to Gozo this year hoping to purchase and retire there. Two things destroyed that dream again. Watching the wanton destruction of turtle doves and the oppressive presence of the hundreds of shooting towers and bunkers littering the beautiful countryside and coastline. Hideous blots on the landscape. Solution? Ban all firearms and tear down the towers. Dream on.