Petition calls to end plans for ‘inhumane’ pigeon culling
The petition has gained over 800 signatures since Tuesday
A Valletta resident is leading calls to cancel plans to trap and cull pigeons, saying the proposal is “inhumane” and “ethically unacceptable”.
Billy Joe Mc Bee, an active campaigner in the capital, has lodged a parliamentary petition urging MPs to instead focus pigeon control efforts on contraceptive-led methods.
The petition titled ‘Pigeons in Malta ‘Contraceptive for Control, yes…killing, no’ was set up earlier this week after Times of Malta revealed the government’s plans to capture and cull feral pigeons across Malta as an initiative to control the growing population, after a trial using contraceptive-laced feed was discontinued.
The petition was launched on Tuesday and had gathered around 865 signatures by Saturday morning.
Details about the culling plans are scarce, though authorities have confirmed the project will be coordinated by the Health Ministry, through the directorate for environmental health, working with the Agriculture Ministry.
It will involve trapping pigeons in “approved lure cages” and transferring them to the civil abattoir for slaughter.
Petitioners concerned
“This approach is inhumane, ethically unacceptable, and unnecessary, particularly when humane and non-lethal alternatives exist,” the petition reads.
“Killing pigeons treats a living urban wildlife population as disposable and does not address the root causes of overpopulation. It also risks repeated cycles of culling rather than providing a sustainable, long-term solution.”
Apart from suspending the planned culling programme, the organiser is also calling for the reinstatement and funding of the contraceptive feed programmes, as a long-term and sustainable alternative.
He also called for the government to consult with animal welfare organisations, veterinary experts and the public before approving or implementing any measure involving the killing of urban wildlife.
The €360,000 contraceptive-laced bird feed project ran from October 2021 to August 2023, yet was discontinued after it failed to receive sufficient funding. According to a 31-page report, the trial led to a 30 per cent drop in pigeon numbers in some areas.
This is not the first petition set up against the newly announced culling project. A Change.org petition received over 900 signatures to stop the pigeon culling project, yet the petition was closed after organisers realised it would not be recognised by the government.
Amongst those against the government's new measures is PN MP Janice Abela Chetcuti, the shadow minister for Animal Welfare, who called for a more "humane solution".