BirdLife Malta expressed disappointment that European Commissioner for the Environment Jessika Roswall did not allocate time to visit one of the organisation's nature sites during her visit to Malta on Monday, while meeting representatives of the hunters' lobby to discuss a barn owl project.

Roswall was in Malta as part of her portfolio duties, with posts on her official social media channels showing her visiting a project led by Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FKNK).

Contacted by The Malta Independent, BirdLife Malta CEO Mark Sultana said the NGO was "disappointed" that the Commissioner did not accept its invitation to visit one of its reserves or projects. "It left a sour taste," Sultana said, noting that such a visit would have provided an opportunity to present BirdLife's work and concerns in greater depth.

While BirdLife representatives did attend a broader stakeholders' meeting with Roswall, Sultana argued that this format did not allow sufficient time to properly outline the NGO's position on key environmental issues. "We require more dedicated time to explain our perspective fully," he said.

Sultana added that BirdLife had formally sought time with the commissioner when the commissioner's visit was announced. However, they were informed that her schedule was fully committed. He said the organisation remains willing to travel to Brussels for a more substantive discussion.

"It would have been appropriate for the Commissioner to visit one of our nature reserves, or those managed by other environmental NGOs," Sultana said. "Instead, the programme as it unfolded risks being perceived as part of a broader greenwashing exercise."

Sultana said that he was inundated with calls and messages from BirdLife Malta supporters showing disappointment at the Commissioner's decision to spend time solely with FKNK. 

BirdLife Malta has long been one of the country's most prominent environmental NGOs, frequently raising concerns about hunting practices, habitat degradation, and the enforcement of EU environmental legislation. Its relationship with hunting organisations, particularly the FKNK, has often been marked by sharp disagreements over conservation priorities and wildlife protection.

The Commissioner's visit came against a backdrop of ongoing tensions in Malta over environmental governance and biodiversity protection, with NGOs increasingly calling for stronger enforcement and greater transparency at both national and European levels.