[WATCH] BirdLife files legal action over Gozo ministry’s issuance of hunting licences

BirdLife files legal action over Gozo ministry’s issuance of hunting licences

BirdLife has filed legal action against the Maltese government over what it insists is the illegal political jurisdiction of the Gozo ministry for the Wild Birds Regulations and its regulator.

The conservationists had already filed a judicial protest saying Robert Abela’s decision to place the Wild Birds Regulation Unit under Gozo minister Clint Camilleri, a bird trapper as it happens, was illegal, because the Environment Protection Act specifically mandates the WBRU under the environment minister’s purview.

The court action also contests Camilleri’s ministry’s power to issue licences to hunters for the spring season, which closes 30 April.

Spring hunting in the EU is banned, but Malta derogates from the ban under strict conditions. But despite the season having opened only for Quail, BirdLife says the rate of poaching and illegal hunting this year was double 2019’s and that hunters were actively shooting Turtle-dove, now an endangered species.

“This is the worst spring hunting season ever,” BirdLife CEO Mark Sultana said.

“Not only were a record number of protected birds shot down, but thousands of protected and vulnerable Turtle-doves. Over just 20 days of hunting we had 44 known illegally shot protected birds, triple what we had last year with 12. In 2018 and 2017 we had 18 and 15 respectively, which means in 2020 we have just one bird less than the last three seasons altogether.”

Sultana also said the 2020 season was characterised by an evident lack of enforcement on the ground, with over 6,000 hunters allowed to hunt despite the COVID-19 pandemic, and with just 47 officers legally required to monitor the season.

“Illegal hunting was rampant, with police under strain due to the delicate situation in the country and enforcement officers struggling to control the hunting situation

“Government is still dragging its feet on setting up a wildlife crime unit within the police force, which wold have the necessary resources to combat criminal acts related to nature and environmental law enforcement.”