Muscat considers lifting trapping ban

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat plans to reintroduce finch trapping in a move that will definitely lead to infringement procedures from the European Commission and a backlash from conservation groups.

According to renewed demands made by hunters’ lobby FKNK, the federation wants the government to effect a derogation from the EU ban on trapping, so that they can take the astounding number of 300,000 Linnet, 900,000 Chaffinch, 500,000 Greenfinch, 400,000 Goldfinch, 300,000 Siskin, 200,000 Serin, and 60,000 Hawfinch over a period of two months trapping season between 7 October until 7 December – permitting a total catch of 2.6 million finches.

The negotiated treaty with the European Union in 2002 allowed a very limited trapping season for finches from 2004 and 2008.

But trapping came to an end in 2008 after Malta’s failure to implement measures to set up a breeding programme of finches, one of the conditions for this derogation from the EU ban.

The hunters’ federation has been calling for a derogation for trapping and has suggested that the government issues licences to trap thousands of finches by use of clap-nets.

Consultants to parliamentary secretary Roderick Galdes, such as hunter and former Labour candidate Bertu Pace, have now convinced government that a trapping derogation would be possible.

Although finch trapping is illegal in Malta, hundreds of trappers still carry out their illegal activity, occupying large tracts of private and public land.

On the eve of EU accession in 2004, the Nationalist administration had issued licences to hundreds of trappers who had never had a licence previously. 400 licences alone were furtively issued to Gozitan trappers after pressure from Gozitan politicians in 2002.

The European Commission had then considered trapping as a no-go area and gave Malta a four-year phase out plan starting in 2004. The EU had allowed a transitional period until 31 December 2008 for the capture of six finches by the use of clap-nets for the purpose of keeping them in captivity. It had also demanded a captive breeding system but the whole project failed and was eventually dumped.

Muscat, who openly supports hunters and trappers, entered into a secret pre-electoral with the lobby and now appears willing to defy EU laws.

There are indications that he will let hunters and trappers know of his intentions before the European parliamentary elections in May, through the government-controlled Ornis committee, chaired by anthropologist Mark Anthony Falzon.

The announcement is expected to galvanise potential support for Muscat, who is worried that he will not win the next European parliamentary elections with a clear majority.

In a report they presented to the government in 2013, the FKNK suggested that taking away trapping would “murder” trapping enthusiasts.

“The trapper has nothing to look forward to in life… he would have nothing to dream about, pray for, hope for, dress up for… he may fail to perform in work and even in sex, his family and friends relationships will suffer. In fact he might have nothing else to live for. He will suffer mental depression verging on suicidal.”