The Ornis Committee has “suddenly been revived” in time for the opening of the trapping season, BirdLife Malta has said.

BirdLife Malta stated that it was given just two days’ notice to the appointment of the Committee and its first meeting that was held in Gozo last Wednesday, which it said, deliberated on various items including the opening of two trapping seasons.

In the votes cast on Wednesday, BirdLife Malta said that it was the only entity that voted against the trapping derogations this October, with the Environment & Resources Authority abstaining from the vote due to the ongoing infringement proceedings.

BirdLife said that the rest of the Committee, namely the Chairman, Federazzjoni Kaccaturi Nassaba Konservazzjonisti – FKNK, and the two “independent” members voted in favour of opening the season.

“If the Government heeds the advice of the Committee, the 20th of October might see the re-opening of the blanket ‘research’ season used by trappers to trap seven species of finches, and the trapping of Song Thrush and Golden Plover in the coming weeks,” said BirdLife Malta.

Both derogations are subject to infringement proceedings at EU level, with the finch research derogation awaiting the start of a trial at the European Court of Justice (ECJ), and with the Golden Plover/Song Thrush season subject to a first warning procedure.

BirdLife pointed out that in the case of finch trapping, this is the second time Malta was taken to the European Court by the European Commission following the landmark judgement of 2018 which declared finch trapping in Malta as illegal.

Following this, BirdLife Malta said that “the Government introduced the smokescreen ‘scientific research’ derogation in an attempt to bypass the ban ordered by the ECJ, but this led Malta to be once again referred to the European Court.”

Photo by BirdLife Malta

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