New hunting, trapping curbs planned
Natalino Fenech
http://timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=198389
The government yesterday announced that it intended to prohibit the trapping
of finches in spring and shorten the season for hunting from sea craft by a
month.
Proposals to amend the hunting and trapping regulations will be published in
a government notice today, following a Cabinet decision, Rural Affairs
Minister George Pullicino said yesterday.
Under the proposals, finch trapping, currently allowed between October 1 and
April 10, would be restricted to between October and the end of January.
Trappers, who number around 5,000, are currently allowed to trap seven
species of finch as well as turtle dove and quail. Although the trapping of
turtle dove and quail would still be allowed, the proposal would translate
into a sharp reduction in trapping activity in spring.
The same restriction had come into force in 1993 only to be withdrawn by a
Labour government in 1996.
The hunting season from sea craft currently opens on October 1 and ends at
the end of February. Under the proposal it would end on January 31,
preventing hunters from continuing to shoot at the large numbers of ducks
that pass over Maltese waters on their way to breeding grounds in the north.
The new rule would spare more than ducks however: Several sea-faring hunters have been convicted of shooting at protected birds and reports come in every year about this sort of activity.
Mr Pullicino said both these changes will take place because the EU Birds
Directive does not allow hunting at sea during spring of birds migrating
towards countries where they breed.
"It is becoming increasingly crucial that Malta conforms to what has been
negotiated with regard to hunting and trapping in the Maltese islands. If
Malta is to honour what has been negotiated, certain amendments are needed in the hunting and trapping legislation," Mr Pullicino said.
"Following the visit of an EU delegation in Malta last April, the European
Commission drew the government's attention to the need to implement measures to ensure Malta conforms to what had been negotiated. It also drew our attention to the differences in the interpretation of certain regulations."
The European Commission, he said, had received a considerable number of
protests from individuals and local and foreign voluntary organisations in
connection with hunting and trapping.
It was also aware of the regular articles in the press that paint a worrying
picture of the hunting and trapping situation in Malta. At the same time,
members of the European Parliament were putting increasing pressure on the
Commission to take action and ensure that Malta conformed to the EU Birds
Directive.
The Commission had to face these allegations and show that it was taking
action to ensure that Malta, as an EU member state, was abiding to its
Accession Treaty, said Mr Pullicino. He reminded hunters that they were the
only ones who were allowed to hunt in spring and this had raised a lot of
questions within the EU.
"They must realise that each time they break the law, they are effectively
shooting law-abiding hunters in the foot."
Another proposal specifies the maximum speed limit a sea craft used for
hunting may reach. It sets the limit at 18 km per hour, to bring Malta into
line with the EU directive.
Mr Pullicino said the government intended to continue to apply the
derogation to enable hunters to shoot turtle doves and quail in spring.
"It is important one understands that unless Malta conforms to what has been negotiated during the accession negotiations, there is a possibility that
what we negotiated will be lost. Malta is the only country in the EU to
allow the taking of turtle doves and quail in spring and this already caused
much controversy with the EU during negotiations.
"Malta has to take measures to ensure that it conforms to what was
negotiated. Ultimately, the scope of the Birds Directive is not to ban
hunting but to ensure that hunting takes place in a sustainable manner and
does not endanger species of wild birds that are under threat."
Interested parties and individuals have been invited to comment on the
proposals. Suggestions are to reach the government over the next four weeks and should be addressed to the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry for Rural Affairs and the Environment, Barriera Wharf, Valletta.
BirdLife Malta last night said the proposed changes were an "important
positive step" to transpose the provisions of the Birds Directive.
"While we acknowledge that the decision was a difficult one for the
government, we also note it is an inevitable start in the process of
conforming to EU community law on bird conservation, which process should
have been completed by the date of accession to the European Union on May 1, 2004," the NGO said.
However, it pointed out that illegal hunting had not yet been addressed and
called on the government to embark on an effective strategy to stop the
activity, "which should include assigning more personnel to enforcement of
the bird protection laws".
Natalino Fenech
http://timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=198389
The government yesterday announced that it intended to prohibit the trapping
of finches in spring and shorten the season for hunting from sea craft by a
month.
Proposals to amend the hunting and trapping regulations will be published in
a government notice today, following a Cabinet decision, Rural Affairs
Minister George Pullicino said yesterday.
Under the proposals, finch trapping, currently allowed between October 1 and
April 10, would be restricted to between October and the end of January.
Trappers, who number around 5,000, are currently allowed to trap seven
species of finch as well as turtle dove and quail. Although the trapping of
turtle dove and quail would still be allowed, the proposal would translate
into a sharp reduction in trapping activity in spring.
The same restriction had come into force in 1993 only to be withdrawn by a
Labour government in 1996.
The hunting season from sea craft currently opens on October 1 and ends at
the end of February. Under the proposal it would end on January 31,
preventing hunters from continuing to shoot at the large numbers of ducks
that pass over Maltese waters on their way to breeding grounds in the north.
The new rule would spare more than ducks however: Several sea-faring hunters have been convicted of shooting at protected birds and reports come in every year about this sort of activity.
Mr Pullicino said both these changes will take place because the EU Birds
Directive does not allow hunting at sea during spring of birds migrating
towards countries where they breed.
"It is becoming increasingly crucial that Malta conforms to what has been
negotiated with regard to hunting and trapping in the Maltese islands. If
Malta is to honour what has been negotiated, certain amendments are needed in the hunting and trapping legislation," Mr Pullicino said.
"Following the visit of an EU delegation in Malta last April, the European
Commission drew the government's attention to the need to implement measures to ensure Malta conforms to what had been negotiated. It also drew our attention to the differences in the interpretation of certain regulations."
The European Commission, he said, had received a considerable number of
protests from individuals and local and foreign voluntary organisations in
connection with hunting and trapping.
It was also aware of the regular articles in the press that paint a worrying
picture of the hunting and trapping situation in Malta. At the same time,
members of the European Parliament were putting increasing pressure on the
Commission to take action and ensure that Malta conformed to the EU Birds
Directive.
The Commission had to face these allegations and show that it was taking
action to ensure that Malta, as an EU member state, was abiding to its
Accession Treaty, said Mr Pullicino. He reminded hunters that they were the
only ones who were allowed to hunt in spring and this had raised a lot of
questions within the EU.
"They must realise that each time they break the law, they are effectively
shooting law-abiding hunters in the foot."
Another proposal specifies the maximum speed limit a sea craft used for
hunting may reach. It sets the limit at 18 km per hour, to bring Malta into
line with the EU directive.
Mr Pullicino said the government intended to continue to apply the
derogation to enable hunters to shoot turtle doves and quail in spring.
"It is important one understands that unless Malta conforms to what has been negotiated during the accession negotiations, there is a possibility that
what we negotiated will be lost. Malta is the only country in the EU to
allow the taking of turtle doves and quail in spring and this already caused
much controversy with the EU during negotiations.
"Malta has to take measures to ensure that it conforms to what was
negotiated. Ultimately, the scope of the Birds Directive is not to ban
hunting but to ensure that hunting takes place in a sustainable manner and
does not endanger species of wild birds that are under threat."
Interested parties and individuals have been invited to comment on the
proposals. Suggestions are to reach the government over the next four weeks and should be addressed to the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry for Rural Affairs and the Environment, Barriera Wharf, Valletta.
BirdLife Malta last night said the proposed changes were an "important
positive step" to transpose the provisions of the Birds Directive.
"While we acknowledge that the decision was a difficult one for the
government, we also note it is an inevitable start in the process of
conforming to EU community law on bird conservation, which process should
have been completed by the date of accession to the European Union on May 1, 2004," the NGO said.
However, it pointed out that illegal hunting had not yet been addressed and
called on the government to embark on an effective strategy to stop the
activity, "which should include assigning more personnel to enforcement of
the bird protection laws".
