What a real fix the country is in… according to Malta’s EU accession obligations, bird trapping will have to be phased out by the end of next year. The captive breeding project was introduced as a means of somehow “replacing” bird trapping, but can this really be done and are trappers willing to take up this practice? Francesca Vella visited the captive breeding site at the government’s Research and Agricultural Development Centre at Ghammieri, Marsa, to see what the project is all about and if it has been at all successful.
Bird trapping and captive breeding – two completely different practices
The captive breeding project started off, almost two years ago, with four pairs of each of seven finch species that may be deliberately captured by means of traditional nets until the end of 2008.
Understandably, even for someone who is not too familiar with either bird trapping or captive breeding, it is immediately evident that the two practices are completely different.
This was my reaction as soon as I started speaking to the person in charge of the captive breeding project at Ghammieri.
The captive breeding project was set up in line with one of the conditions stipulated in Malta’s Accession Treaty to the EU, which states that “by 30 June 2005 a captive breeding programme will have been introduced”.
The project was aimed at phasing out bird trapping and encouraging trappers to take up captive breeding instead.
However, it is obvious that while bird trapping is an outdoor activity, captive breeding of birds requires much more dedication, time and money.
In fact, the person in charge of the captive breeding project confirmed that captive breeding requires a lot of patience and dedication, and trappers are not necessarily interested in taking up this hobby as a replacement to bird trapping.
The birds eat different types of seeds like linseeds, rapeseeds and sunflowers and insects like buffalo worms, crickets, mealworms, together with supplementary vitamins, antibiotics and other medicines, depending on the age of the birds.
Despite all the care given to the birds, the success rate is very low. Only about 50 greenfinches are bred at the captive breeding site every year. Breeding of the other six types of finch species has so far proven to be unsuccessful.
On a positive note, breeders do visit the site for consultation about giving birds a balanced diet and the best care to obtain good rates of success.
Malta’s accession to the EU
Before joining the EU, Malta negotiated a transition period (until the end of 2008) for the trapping of several species of finch. “Transition periods” refer to periods during which member states do not need to comply with all EU laws, but during which they should gradually phase out practices that are banned under EU law.
Trapping of finches is also not allowed during spring and bird trapping using clap nets is illegal under the EU Birds Directive, so Malta is obliged to fulfill its agreement and phase out this practice as 2008 draws to a close.
Prior to EU accession, Malta did not negotiate a derogation or transition period on spring hunting and trapping of turtle doves and common quails. A derogation under Article 9 of the Birds Directive cannot be negotiated in advance. It can be applied by any member state complying with the provisions of Article 9.
Malta’s Accession Treaty to the EU (2003) stipulates that:
“By way of derogation from Articles 5(a), 5(e), 8(1) and Annex IV(a) of Directive 79/409/EEC, Carduelis cannabina, Carduelis serinus, Carduelis chloris, Carduelis carduelis, Carduelis spinus, Fringilla coelebs and Coccothraustes coccothraustes (all members of the finch family) may be deliberately captured until 31 December 2008 by traditional nets known as clap nets within the Maltese islands exclusively for the purpose of keeping them in captivity.”
Among the conditions that go hand-in-hand with this regulation are: “by the date of accession at the latest, the Maltese Ornis Committee will have been established, all trapping sites will have been registered, a pilot study for a captive breeding project and a study on mortality of finches in captivity will have been presented, the number and types of species held and bred in aviaries will have been assessed, as well as an information programme for implementation of a captive breeding system will have been presented to the Commission;
•“by 30 June 2005 a captive breeding programme will have been introduced;
•“by 31 December 2006 the success of the captive breeding system as well as the mortality rate of birds within the established captive breeding system will have been assessed;
•“by June 2007 the number of captured wild birds required to sustain genetic diversity will have been assessed;
•“by 31 December 2007, the Malta Ornis Committee will have established the number of wild specimens per species that may be captured in line with the Directive to ensure sufficient genetic diversity of the captive species.”
Deadlines have been far from respected, but the problem goes beyond that.
Bird trapping can never be replaced, FKNK insists
The Federazzjoni Kaccaturi Nassaba u Konservazzjonisti (FKNK), the federation of local hunters, trappers and conservationists, has again insisted that bird trapping can never be replaced.
Contacted by The Malta Independent, FKNK president Lino Farrugia said the captive breeding project has simply not been successful.
The government negotiated badly with the EU prior to accession, since bird trapping can never be replaced, particularly with something completely different, said Mr Farrugia.
He added that trying to encourage bird trappers to take up captive breeding was like telling someone who enjoys rod fishing to instead invest in an aquarium. Moreover, it is very difficult, sometimes impossible, to breed finch species indoors, he said.
Asked what FKNK believed was the way out, considering that bird trapping is supposed to be phased out by the end of next year, Mr Farrugia said that if the Maltese government shows enough political will, it would be able to apply for a derogation as stipulated in Article 9 of the Birds Directive.
“We want the government to apply for a derogation for bird trapping in autumn using selective traditional clap nets,” he explained, adding that this technique is a manual operation that does not trap just any bird passing by.
Serious problems at the captive breeding site – BirdLife Malta
Andre Raine, BirdLife Malta’s conservation manager told this newspaper that while the person in charge of the captive breeding site is very competent, it is clear that there are serious problems.
“The main problem is related to the location of the captive breeding site, particularly due to noise pollution and petards, and the success rate is very low” said Dr Raine.
However, if it is done properly, captive breeding can provide for an “alternative” to bird trapping, he said.
Plain and simply, bird trapping is illegal in the EU and it has to be phased out in Malta. However, a number of deadlines stipulated in the country’s accession agreement with the EU, have not been respected, so this will inevitably cause a number of mishaps in the phasing out process, particularly those related to convincing bird trappers that the practice will have to stop.
The EU Birds Directive
One of the components of the Birds Directive bans activities that directly threaten birds, such as the deliberate killing or capture of birds, among others
The directive regulates the use of wild birds (including hunting and trading). In particular it establishes rules that limit the species that can be hunted and the periods during which these can be hunted in order to protect them during periods of their greatest vulnerability, such as the return migration to the nesting areas, reproduction and the raising of chicks. There are also rules defining which hunting methods are banned (e.g. non-selective hunting and trapping).
Since 1993 the Birds Directive has provided the basis for the establishment of EU Species Action Plans aimed at helping the most threatened species recover.
Derogations from several provisions of the Birds Directive can be applied by any Member State given certain conditions are met.
These conditions are set out in Article 9 of the Birds Directive, and the most important is the absence of any other satisfactory solution. Derogations can be applied for example in the interest of public health and safety, for scientific, educational and conservation purposes or in a very strictly regulated way for other “judicious use”.
For hunting derogations in Malta Article 9(1)(c) is relevant. Apart from the “absence of an alternative solution”, Malta would need for example to meet the criteria of “small numbers” of killed birds, of “strictly supervised” and well defined conditions and of the activity being carried out on a “selective basis”.
Member states have to transpose and follow the provisions of Article 9 in their national legislation. Malta transposed it after a big delay in 2006. Member states have to report annually to the European Commission about any applied derogation and explain in detail how the conditions are met.
If the commission sees that these conditions are not met it can prohibit the further use of the derogation, if needed by applying to the European Court of Justice.