BirdLife Malta and the UK’s Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) yesterday laid 115,000 petitions from the UK on the doorstep of Castille, calling on the Maltese government to “face up to its illegal bird hunting and trapping shame” and to honour its European and international bird protection obligations against spring hunting.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, the intended recipient of the boxes of petitions, had refused three written requests from the RSPB and BirdLife Malta to meet at a time and date of the Prime Minister’s choosing, the two organisations said.

The Office of the Prime Minister later said it was not true that Dr Gonzi had refused to meet the society.

The boxes were piled up on the steps of Castille’s front entrance and banners reading “Stop Illegal Spring Hunting” were unfurled. One of the Prime Minister’s aides eventually came down to accept the petition from RSPB international operations director Alistair Gammell.

Speaking about the Prime Minister’s refusal to meet with the associations, Mr Gammell commented, “Asking Malta to respect EU laws is entirely reasonable. While we do not know why the Prime Minister refused to meet with us, it is probably because Malta has no defence for its stance on spring hunting.”

Mr Gammell added: “Spring hunting kills birds just before they are about to reproduce, endangering future generations. Responsible hunters should recognise the fact that spring hunting means there are fewer birds to shoot during the autumn hunting season.

As such, responsible hunters should have no association with this kind of thing.

“Putting an end to spring hunting will mean that Malta will avoid a damaging court case, which I am 100 per cent certain Malta will lose. We are asking Malta to put an end to the practice of spring hunting and to respect its natural heritage, which it shares with Europe and Africa.”

Also speaking yesterday, BirdLife Malta president Joseph Mangion explained how the petition’s presentation coincided with an analysis of ring recoveries from migratory birds in Malta. The study showed how birds from no fewer than 47 countries, 35 European and 12 African, use Malta as a staging post during their migrations between Europe and Africa. Some 14 species, all of which are protected, have been trapped and shot illegally in Malta. Only two of the species in question can be trapped, at least until Malta’s transition period for trapping expires in 2008.

The analysis, according to BirdLife Malta, reveals a “catalogue of shame” with UK-ringed birds such as the cuckoo, goldfinch, spotted redshank, gannet, great skua and the short-eared owl being “recorded in the island’s grisly trapping and hunting practices.”

“Malta’s position on the European-African flyway means it is important that the country realises its obligations to protect these birds,” Mr Mangion added. “Malta’s inaction has a direct effect on conservation efforts being undertaken in other countries, with the result that Malta’s reputation is being stained by the continuation of spring hunting and trapping.”

This, he added, has led to an exceedingly negative perception of Malta among Europeans. The issue of spring hunting, he said, is raised more often in the European Parliament than other environmental issues such as climate change and toxic pollution, and Malta’s notoriety on the topic ensures the country’s name is always highlighted in such debates.

Mr Mangion added: “We are disappointed that the government continues to appease hunters. Our government knows that spring hunting is illegal under EU law. We are asking that the government outlaws the illegal spring hunting practice once and for all. Our elected representatives should do that for the majority of the Maltese public who are overwhelmingly against hunting.”

The government is currently at odds with Brussels over spring hunting and the issue is something of a political hot potato with a general election potentially in the offing as early as the end of the year.

The government intends fighting off Brussels’ regulations against spring hunting tooth and nail, but faces EU fines when the spring season opens in less than two months’ time. The EC has already sent the government a formal infringement notice on its breach of the Birds Directive, while a second reasoned opinion letter is expected at any time.

While Brussels has made it clear that the opening of the spring hunting season in Malta at the end of March will constitute an infringement of EU law, the third and final step will involve Malta being brought before the European Court of Justice.

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OPM denies it refused meeting

The Office of the Prime Minister yesterday denied that Dr Lawrence Gonzi had refused to meet the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

The last communication between the OPM and the RSPB was on 9 November 2006, when the OPM had received a letter dated 2 November.

On that same day, the head of the Prime Minister’s secretariat Edgar Galea Curmi had replied to invite the society to make contact with his office for an appointment to be arranged.

Since then, the OPM is still waiting for an answer.