Updated | Birdlife to take action over legal notice giving regulation unit enforcement powers

Birdlife Malta to take government to court over legal notice giving WBRU more powers • Video by Ray Attard

Director of Birdlife Malta Steve Micklewright said that Birdlife would be pursuing legal action against the government after it had approved a legal notice giving the Wild Birds Regulation Unit enforcement powers, prior to any sort of consultation.

"The legal notice passed last Friday would give the unit unprecedented powers of enforcement, which were previously held only by the police." he said.

Micklewright pointed out that “legislation dictates that any change of law such as this should be opened to consultation.”

“However this process was not followed and the law has already been enacted,” he added.

The group also called for the resignation of head of the Unit, Sergei Golovkin, while asking minister Leo Brincat to call for a public consultation.

Micklewright said the ommission of the public consultation was tantamount to "steam-rolling over the Ornis committee."

“Since its inception two years ago, the WBRU has eased legislation in favour of hunters and trappers, decriminalising the use of bird callers, re-openening a finch trapping season, allowing for an increase in trapping licenses, easing hunting and trapping licence examinations as well as rendering an afternoon curfew protecting birds of prey obsolete,” Micklewright said.

Micklewright said that the group branded it “ridiculous,” that the unit, which was in charge of giving hunters and trappers more privileges, was also being given a hand in enforcing laws.

“This latest attempt by WBRU to legislate its own ascent to power without any form of consultation is a reflection of our concerns voiced two years ago over this unit becoming a deregulation unit,” he stressed.

Stressing the unit’s inability to impartially enforce wild bird regulations, Micklewright explained how the unit had failed to inspect an illegal consignment of wild finches in Gozo.

“Following the inspection, the finches, bearing fake rings, were not confiscated and they were allowed to remain on sale,” he said.

“Impartial and effective enforcement is only possible when there is a complete separation between those legislating and those enforcing, and where there is no political interference.”

Micklewright added that Birdlife Malta was encouraging the minister to take matters in hand and hold the WBRU responsible for its obvious incompetence, and to revoke the legal notice.

KSU reacts

In a reaction, Kaccaturi San Ubertu (KSU) called on Birdlife Malta "to desist from their customary arrogance before the opening of each hunting season as typified by their audacity to criticize additional enforcement  entrusted to the Wild Birds Regulation Unit and its regulating of hunting".

It said that enforcement of hunting laws has never been as stringent or hunting regulations so rational, since the WBRU was set up.

According to the KSU, the results of such enforcement is attested by the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) and independent ornithologists who have spared no instance to criticize when the situation was uncontrollable. Hunting laws are scrutinized by the EU Commission and regulated accordingly.
 
"The only way left to Birdlife Malta is to thrive on exaggerations, manipulated reports and propaganda. Left to their own devices their report on the illegal killing of birds in Malta is yet another instance where fact or repercussions do not matter. Their “deep disappointment” at our criticism of this fallacious report is dwarfed by their recurring action’s that only serve to harm Malta’s reputation, that of its government and the enforcement and regulatory authorities.
 
"KSU laud the WBRU for being fair and impartial and look forward to the day when Malta’s hunting within confirmed EU norms is accepted by Birdlife Malta."