A Labour government would consider setting up a Wildlife Crime Unit which would focus exclusively on enforcement of laws concerning wildlife, Labour leader Joseph Muscat said this morning.

Speaking during a meeting with BirdLife at Ghadira Nature Reserve, he said such a unit would take over the role of the Administrative Law Enforement Unit but it would be better resourced and it would not have the additional, not environmental duties, which the ALE has.

Dr Muscat said he was also intrigued by the idea of building a nature reserve in the south of Malta, similar to the one at Ghadira, and said that would be considered.

On hunting, Dr Muscat reiterated that no illegal hunting would be allowed.

He said the agreements reached with the Eu would not be renegotiated but existing derogations would be retained and applied.

Labour's view, he said, was that Maltese hunters should enjoy the same rights and conditions as hunters in other EU countries. Therefore, any restrictions which went beyond what was demanded under EU rules would be removed, such as the €50  licence fee for spring hunting.