'Uphold EU directives on nature and bird protection,' BirdLife tells Bernard Grech

The Nationalist Party cannot backtrack on its commitment to implement the EU directives on protecting nature and birds if it wants to respect public opinion, BirdLife Malta CEO Mark Sultana said.

Sultana made the statement during a meeting with Opposition leader Bernard Grech on Wednesday at PN headquarters.

"The Nationalist Party must uphold the spirit of the Acquis Communautaire and not buckle under pressure from the hunters’ lobby," Sultana said. 

The meeting included discussing the recent infringement proceedings initiated by the European Commission against the government after it handed over Miżieb and Aħrax Woodlands to the hunting lobby.

Sultana also highlighted that bird protection enforcement once conducted by the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) was removed and replaced with the Wild Birds Regulation Unit (WBRY) run by trappers.

He also mentioned the vote-catching move by the government to move the WBRU under the remit of Minister for Gozo Clint Camilleri and how several aspects of the Treaty negotiated with the European Union before Malta acceded to the EU has been continuously ignored by the government, leading to action being taken against Malta in past years.

Grech also pretended results during the meeting, which showed that last year was a record for illegal hunting casualties due to poor enforcement and weakening of government laws.