Birdlife Malta has written to EU Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius pointing out the “desperate and defiant move” by Prime Minister Robert Abela on behalf of the Government of Malta to reopen the trapping season even though the European Court of Justice (ECJ) decreed against the opening of the trapping seasons in 2014 to 2017 (judgement dated 21st June 2018).

BirdLife Malta CEO Mark Sultana stated: “This is a desperate attempt to bow to a small vociferous lobby that is being allowed to trap seven species of finches under the premise of a research project. Everyone knows that the absolute majority of trappers will keep the birds caught since they know that there is no monitoring and enforcement. The trapping season, with the excuse of research, is a sick joke. Apart from this, it is a known fact that the numbers of birds hunted or trapped and reported by Maltese hunters and trappers over the years is far below the numbers caught.” “We have entered a dark age for the environment in Malta.”

“… everyone knows that the absolute majority of trappers will keep the birds caught since they know that there is no monitoring and enforcement. The trapping season, with the excuse of research, is a sick joke.”

This Government appears to be committed to take Malta backwards when it comes to wildlife protection, Birdlife said. We have entered a dark age for the environment in Malta. Last week 12 Short-toed Eagles were gunned down in Malta, two flamingos were literally snatched from a nature reserve, and to add insult to injury the Prime Minister of Malta handed over the two largest tree-covered zones in Malta (Miżieb and Aħrax) to the hunters and trappers.

BirdLife Malta said it vowed to fight the latest decisions in Court and promises to exhaust all legal avenues to counter this decision