BirdLife Malta today condemned the ORNIS Committee following yesterday’s decisions which clearly show that the ORNIS Committee is nothing but a political tool in the Government’s hands and nothing more.
Above all, the Committee ignored the legal principles of the European directives and also any scientific data and arguments, BirdLife said in a statement.
BirdLife Malta said that it will take the following measures:
• It will be taking all action needed to inform the European Commission about the details regarding how Prime Minister Robert Abela, on the eve of a general election, did everything to ignore the country’s obligations in terms of the natural environment and hunting in our country. We will also insist with the Commission to hasten the Infringement Procedures against Malta on spring hunting.
• It will comunicate with its international partner organisations so that they give all the necessary support to put more pressure on the Government on an international level and so that BirdLife Malta is given more support.
• It is evaluating all legal action which can be taken so that the Government’s decisions are contested in the local Courts.
• It will work to immediately reopen the discussion about an abrogative referendum on hunting.
Yesterday’s ORNIS Committee meeting supposedly had to discuss not only the spring hunting season for Turtle-dove but also changes to the law on taxidermy.
"But, astoundingly, just a few hours before the meeting, the Government published a Legal Notice which practically grants an amnesty to those who possess or have received stuffed birds. This clearly proves that the ORNIS Committee is simply a political tool, and a complete farce," BirdLife said.
Because of this, when the Committee had to discuss this point, BirdLife Malta stormed out of the meeting.
"Yesterday it was clear that the decisions taken by this Committee are only political decisions which completely ignore any scientific data and arguments. In the meeting no valid argument was made which justifies the opening of a spring hunting season for the European Turtle-dove – a vulnerable species in danger of extinction – especially when in the European Union there are efforts to halt hunting for this bird even in autumn," the NGO continued.
"Yesterday’s events also clearly show that Prime Minister Robert Abela is determined to dismantle everything that was done by his predecessors in regard to hunting and trapping."
The policy of this Government led by Robert Abela is only to appease hunters and win their votes with pre-electoral decisions, the NGO said.
All this is happening when the Government knows that the European Commission will stop Malta in this regard and also knows that the majority of the public from across the political spectrum want Malta’s natural environment to be protected and hunting to be controlled, it continued.
At a time when our country needs to be progressive, and be fair and just towards protecting the environment, PM Robert Abela is taking us back in time with his decisions on the environmental policy of our country. With more than 60 years of experience, and as the largest environmental organisation in Malta, we commit to continue fighting with determination against these scandalous decisions in the coming weeks and months, it added.
"Labour betrays the environment once again," the NGO concluded.
Arnold Cassola reacts
The Labour Party has once again shown that it has no concept of real and genuine environmental protection and has pandered blatantly to the hunting lobby, independent candidate Arnold Cassola said in a statement.
By removing the moratorium on quail and turtle dove hunting Labour will be complicit in the continued destruction of the little remaining natural wildlife in our country, Cassola said.
This election has shown that both the Labour and the Nationalist Party are kept hostage by the threat of votes from the hunting lobby, he added.
"It is well past time that the thousands of Maltese who love our natural environment and it’s wildlife use their vote too to protect what they love. Election after election , PL and PN have betrayed the natural environment again and again."
"It is time to vote for the environment by voting for those independent and third party candidates who have consistently worked to protect our country ‘s natural environment throughout their life."