BirdLife Malta has strongly condemned what it described as “attacks, which it said were “levelled against the organisation by two Government Ministers and a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Maltese Government.”
These were made following yesterday’s filing of a Complaint with the Commissioner of Police requesting the withdrawal of hunting licences which were “issued illegally by the Ministry for Gozo,” BLM said.
In a statement, the eNGO argued that, “all licences for this year’s spring hunting season are invalid and anyone who is out hunting with an invalid licence is breaking the law.”
BirdLife Malta went on to say that since its inception in 1962 it “never had any political goal or aim. BirdLife Malta embraces hundreds of members with different political views, and has always worked hand in hand with different governments with one sole interest: safeguarding Malta and Gozo’s natural environment.”
“BirdLife Malta is working to ensure that Malta’s natural environment is protected so that Maltese citizens enjoy a better quality of life and we have a truly modern European state, you still find politicians – whatever side they are on – who openly attack our work in a clear attempt of intimidation which was also intended to incite hatred against BirdLife Malta and its officials,” stated the eNGO.
“Following the 2015 referendum in which thousands of people exercised their right to vote, and which was narrowly lost with a few hundred votes, there was a political commitment – by then Prime Minister Joseph Muscat – that Malta’s natural environment would be safeguarded and environmental laws enforced,” it said.
BirdLife said that “unfortunately this is not happening today and police are not even doing what is expected from them because they don’t even have the time to perform their duties in the national interest and as required by the country’s laws, apart from the lack of adequate resources that they have been equipped with.”
BirdLife Malta called on political leaders to “not only be more cautious in their criticism, but to also appreciate the altruist and valuable work carried out by environmental NGOs in our country without any compensation or personal benefit.”