BirdLife International CEO Patricia Zurita has written to Prime Minister Robert Abela, asking him not to open the spring hunting season and to beef up enforcement in the sector.
Birdlife International represents the world's largest nature conservation partnership with 115 partners worldwide, including BirdLife Malta.
Zurita reminded Abela of his progressive credentials and called on him to show leadership at this particular time, not give in to lobbies and refrain from opening the spring hunting season. "Unfortunately I got the news that your Government is considering a hunting season in the weeks to come. While this contradicts drastically what Europe is promoting amidst the COVID-19 crisis and the visionary Green Deal, I find it baffling that a progressive party like yours resists change in favour of nature, in particular bird protection. One surely needs to be courageous to bring about change which might effect a very noisy lobby," she wrote.
In her letter she also reminded PM Abela that it was precisely the failure to enforce wildlife trade regulations by governments which led to the inception of the COVID-19 pandemic.
BirdLife International is actively involved in fighting illegal wildlife trade. Zurita questioned the resources available to safeguard a spring hunting derogation as stipulated by law due to the Coronavirus situation, and called on Abela to seriously reconsider the opening of the spring season for one species of bird, the Quail, telling him that such a decision will be regressive, and it would also hinder the correct approach to controlling the COVID-19 pandemic in Malta.
Whilst commending BirdLife Malta's work as one of the oldest partners in the BirdLife family and sharing concern about the upwards trend in illegally shot protected birds, Patricia Zurita said the international partnership also supports the call for the establishment of a Wildlife Crime Unit within the Malta Police Force, and is united in support to BirdLife Malta, trusting that the PM will ensure that these requests are listened to and actioned upon.
"Make us and the future generations proud, Prime Minister," Zurita said, adding that she looks forward to seeing the Maltese Government taking the necessary steps to preserve nature in Malta and to respect its obligations towards bettering the state of the environment.