BirdLife Malta condemns government move to reopen finch trapping licences

BirdLife Malta has condemned the reopening of applications from the government for new General Trapping Licences through the Wild Birds Regulation Unit (WBRU), claiming it is a step backwards from the country's binding commitments as an EU member state.

“Malta’s countryside and nature are not a bargaining chip in an election campaign. They are a shared public good and a European responsibility. Tens of thousands of Maltese feel distant from both main political parties, mainly because of the way our natural environment is treated. These decisions allowing a few to take what belongs to everyone, be it land or biodiversity or natural resources, are why thousands of people are holding back from choosing our future leaders,” said BirdLife Malta chief executive Mark Sultana.

When Malta joined the EU in 2004, finch trapping was meant to be phased out, with no new licences to be issued and the practice limited solely to support a breeding programme during a transitional period.

The European Court of Justice has since ruled against Malta twice. In 2018, it found Malta’s “recreational” finch trapping derogation illegal, and again in September 2024, when it rejected the so-called “scientific research” framework that replaced it.

Despite these rulings and repeated warnings from the European Commission, the government has continued to adjust and repackage trapping schemes to work around the EU Birds Directive.

In a Facebook post, the Wild Birds Regulation Unit informed the public that new applications for the General Trapping Licence will open for anyone interested in sitting for the trap exam who is over 18. Applicants are requested to visit one of the MaltaPost branches between 4 March and 18 March.

BirdLife Malta warned that the reopening of new licences risks placing Malta in a continued breach of EU law and signals that the country has no intention of honouring its EU obligations.  The group published a map of active trapping sites recorded in 2025, showing large parts of the Maltese countryside carved up into trapping plots, many of them within Natura 2000 sites designated to protect biodiversity.

Issuing new licences, BirdLife Malta said, will lead to more trapping effort across an already heavily affected countryside, intensifying habitat destruction and expanding the takeover of rural land.

BirdLife Malta said that by expanding the number of licensed trappers while enforcement remains critically weak, the government is creating the conditions for further abuse. Finch trapping has already been reported during the closed spring season, and the demand for live bird decoys continues to fuel illegal trapping, including in neighbouring countries.

BirdLife Malta also noted that the decision was taken without meaningful consultation at ORNIS Committee level or with other environmental authorities. The group described the timing as a pre-election attempt to secure trapper support, placing narrow electoral interests above national and European obligations.

Malta lies on a key migratory route between Europe and Africa, and BirdLife Malta emphasized that decisions here impact the continent. The group urged the government to revoke its decision, fully comply with EU law, fund enforcement, protect habitats, and conduct independent scientific research without capturing protected wild birds.