The success of new regulations dealing with zoos depends on "stringent enforcement", the Commissioner of Animal Welfare Alison Bezzina said, while acknowledging that they are an important step forward.

A number of new regulations had been announced at the end of last month for the keeping of animals in zoos across Malta and Gozo, including limitations on the interaction of visitors with exotic animals and limited control of exotic zoo animal breeding, the government had said.

Speaking with The Malta Independent, Bezzina was asked about the regulations.

She said that in August, Malta marked a "significant milestone" with the issuance of the new zoo regulations. She said it was a "long-anticipated development" since her 2020 recommendation to end cub-petting which, she said, causes "undue suffering" as it separates young wild animals from their mothers and subjects them to "unnatural human interaction".

"The newly enacted legislation surpasses our initial aspirations, setting higher standards for the accommodation of captive wild animals and introducing stringent controls on their breeding," Bezzina said.

"As Commissioner, while I advocate against the idea of captive wild animals for entertainment-acknowledging that even with the best intentions and resources, we cannot truly replicate their natural habitats-these regulations ensure that those animals currently in captivity are afforded the best possible conditions," she said.

She added that breeding now requires a license from the Veterinary Regulations Directorate and therefore adequate justification that can be questioned.

She described this advancement as a "critical step forward," but said that "its success hinges on stringent enforcement."

"The relevant authorities must ensure that these laws are not merely symbolic but are actively upheld." Bezzina said she remains committed to overseeing their implementation.