BirdLife Malta has today revealed photos and footage showing trapping sites across Malta being readied for another trapping season as the finch spring migration begins. Despite the Accession Treaty Agreement forbidding trapping beyond 2009, which Malta signed before it joined the EU, nets are still being set in place and vegetation is being cleared.

Trapping sites have been observed in various stages of preparation by BirdLife field workers, and photographic and video evidence has been collected. These incidents are widespread and include sites in Delimara, Maghtab, Mizieb, Dingli cliffs and Majjistral National Park. Prepared sites have also been located in Gozo. This mirrors activity in the spring of 2008, when illegal trapping was widespread despite a ban on spring trapping.

Trappers were recorded preparing sites by clearing vegetation (to prevent nets from snagging or tearing) using both chemicals and gardening tools and re-building or extending their trapping hides. Last weekend BirdLife staff filmed a person clearing vegetation on a trapping site at Maghtab, where two other nearby trapping sites were found to be active, with new clap nets laid out on the ground. In Mellieha, a hide was photographed being enlarged through the addition of an adjoining room. This brick room, in its first stages of construction, is being built on garrigue land. At Mizieb, several freshly cleared trapping sites were photographed within the woodland.

“The Accession Treaty Agreement Malta signed in 2004 clearly states that trapping can not continue. The government has so far not opened the trapping season, but it has also not changed the national legislation to ban trapping in Malta.” said Geoffrey Saliba, BirdLife Malta’s Campaigns Coordinator. “This inaction from the government is leading some trappers to hope for the season to be opened.”

BirdLife Malta also stated that nets have been laid out at multiple sites across the islands. The ALE have been actively removing nets reported by BirdLife Malta and members of the public, with action taken at Delimara, Dingli cliffs, Majjistral National Park and Maghtab. As well as making it easier for trappers to illegally operate their sites, unattended nets pose a danger to wildlife as birds and other animals (such as snakes) can get caught and die tangled in the nets. In the last few weeks, dead birds have been recorded entangled at several sites with unattended nets in both Malta and Gozo.

“It is clear that many trappers are either unaware of the Agreement signed with the EU, or unwilling to respect it. As the person in charge of the environment, the Prime Minister needs to communicate the government’s position on trapping, and make the necessary changes to the national legislation to ban trapping in line with the Accession Treaty Agreement. The ALE also need to be given sufficient resources to cope with the increased illegal activity we can expect to see in the coming weeks.” concluded Saliba.

1) The section regarding trapping as part of the Act of Accession for Malta under Nature Protection reads as follows:

By way of derogation from Articles 5(a), 5(e), 8(1) and Annex IV(a) of Directive 79/409/EEC, Carduelis cannabina, Carduelis serinus, Carduelis chloris, Carduelis carduelis, Carduelis spinus, Fringilla coelebs and Coccothraustes coccothraustes may be deliberately captured until 31 December 2008 by traditional nets known as clap-nets within the Maltese islands…

… The measures taken during the transitional measure shall be in full accordance with the principles governing the timing of hunting of migratory bird species as outlined in Directive 79/409/EEC. The number of captured birds is expected to be significantly reduced during the transitional measure. Malta will report annually to the Commission on the application of this transitional measure and on progress achieved.

The full Agreement can be reviewed on Page 12 of the document by clicking on the following link;
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2003:236:0859:0874:EN:PDF

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