The suspension of the hunting season is a prerogative of the Ornis Committee. This was the reply given by a spokesperson for the Prime Minister who spoke with The Malta Independent when asked if the government intends to shut down the hunting season due to the increased number of illegal hunting cases.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has suspended the hunting season twice before in two separate occasion and he did so without a formal recommendation by the Ornis Committee. However, even after a season which was characterised by at least 23 cases of protected birds being shot down illegally, the Prime Minister has remained silent.
Speaking to The Malta Independent, Birdlife CEO Mark Sultana said that this hunting season is probably the worst one in the last five years when it comes to reported cases of illegal hunting.
He said that the government’s silence is worrying. “Joseph Muscat has the power to stop the hunting season. He did so twice before and he should do so now as the situation already seems to be out of control.”
Mark Sultana
But when asked if the government would be willing to suspend this season following the numerous reported cases, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister said that suspension is Ornis Committee’s prerogative.
“According to the regulations, for a hunting season to be suspended or for its parameters to be changed, the prerogative stands with Ornis Committee”, the spokesperson said.
However, Mr Sultana argued that the Prime Minister did not follow any Ornis recommendation before halting hunting seasons before. “I am surprised to see the difference between the Prime Minister’s immediate reaction two years ago, and the lack of action now,” Birdlife CEO added.
“I think what the Prime Minister is doing, is simply passing the buck to someone else and trying to waste time.”
He said that the only thing which changed from 2014 till this day, is that the enforcement became even weaker.
“The number of reported cases related to illegal hunting this year is incredible. And what is most frustrating is the lack of proper enforcement by the authorities. I think we have to admit that we have a serious problem and that our enforcement is not being effective.”
According to Mr Sultana, the lack of enforcement is making life easy for those hunters addicted to shoot a flying bird.
The Prime Minister had suspended the hunting season three days ahead of is official closure back in April of 2015 when a protected bird of prey was shot down by a hunter and fell into the football pitch of a school in Cottonera.
A year earlier, the Prime Minister did the same thing and ordered the season’s suspension. The government had decided to immediately stop the hunting season following incidents where protected birds were shot down.
Ornis Committee Chairman Dr Mark Anthony Falzon
Birdlife Malta said on Sunday that three more protected birds have been shot by hunters, bringing the total since the beginning of the autumn season to 23. In the statement which was released by the NGO, Birdlife Malta reiterated the plea to the government to suspend the hunting season.
This newsroom tried to reach the Chairman of Ornis Committee, Dr Mark Anthony Falzon for a comment, but he wasn’t available for a reaction.
Birdlife Malta this morning released footage of one of three incidents of illegal hunting that took place on Sunday.
“The footage filmed by BirdLife Malta’s Raptor Camp volunteers shows a hunter hiding away a protected Northern Wheatear (Kuda) which had earlier been shot in Delimara. This footage has been handed over to the police for further investigation,” the group said.
Birdlife Malta says at least 23 protected birds have been shot down by hunters since the start of the autumn hunting season.