Alison Bezzina takes jab at animal rights parliamentary secretary: 'I will never condone hunting'

Animal Welfare Commissioner Alison Bezzina has come out against hunting in what is a clear jab at Animal Rights Parliamentary Secretary Alicia Bugeja Said.

Bezzina underscored her position against hunting in a Facebook post, saying the practice may be “legal” but not “ethical.”

The comment comes days after newly-appointed Parliamentary Secretary Alicia Bugeja Said, who is responsible for animal rights, welcomed the news that a court allowed the spring hunting season to open as planned.

“I am satisfied with the work done to safeguard the traditions that make us Maltese,” Bugeja Said wrote in a Facebook post over the weekend that raised eyebrows among animal lovers.

Bezzina said that as the Commissioner for Animal Welfare, legal hunting was not within her remit, as it was not considered cruel according to the Animal Welfare Act.

However, Bezzina said, personally, there were only two scenarios when killing an animal could be justified.

“If the animal is in distress, and killing them is the merciful thing to do. If your life, safety or health is on the line and dependent on killing an animal,” she said.

This year’s spring hunting season for turtle doves and quails opened on Easter Sunday and will run until 30 April. The inclusion of turtle dove effectively ended a moratorium on spring hunting for the species that was introduced in 2017 after the European Commissioner threatened legal action. The turtle dove is considered a vulnerable species.

BirdLife Malta had criticised the decision to allow the hunting of turtle dove and tried to stop the season in its tracks by asking the courts to issue an injunction. In a judgment delivered last week, the court turned down BirdLife Malta's request and allowed the season to go ahead as planned.

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