Spring hunting season to open despite EU infringement procedure

BirdLife Malta has called on the government not to open the spring hunting season on vulnerable turtle dove after the Ornis Committee accepted the FKNK’s proposal to start the season.

All members, except BirdLife, voted in favour of the move while the Enviroment and Resources Authority (ERA) abstained.

Another proposal by FKNK to allow the trapping of turtle doves was also supported by all members, including ERA, while BirdLife voted against.

In a statement issued on Thursday, BirdLife Malta condemned the decisions and accused the Ornis committee of being “biased towards the government’s political will which today is purely to bend over backwards and please the hunting lobby”.

“Rather than having a scientific advisory body, the government has created a team of ýes minister’, making this committee an undemocratic and unbalanced entity,” BirdLife CEO Mark Sultana said.

BirdLife called on the government to revamp the Ornis Committee “into a science-based body with competent experts, ensuring solid scientific advice rather than a mere rubber-stamping entity.”

Malta is currently facing an open infringement procedure with the European Commission on turtle dove hunting. Birdlife warned this latest decision could risk escalating further the infringement proceedings.

Turtle dove trapping had been halted in 2011 following similar infringements.

On Wednesday a court turned down BirdLife’s request for a prohibitory injunction to stop the Ornis Committee from discussing and voting on the reopening of the spring hunting season.

A proposal tabled over a year ago by BirdLife to create a no-hunting buffer zone of 200m around schools in Malta and Gozo received only BirdLife’s vote in favour while the rest of the committee members voted against or abstained.

Birdlife remarked this was “disappointing” considering that a buffer zone exists around beaches, main roads and cemeteries.

“It is unbelievable and disappointing that all those seated at the Ornis table, chosen by the government, did not support the inclusion of schools in this list to protect our children.”

ERA representative Darrin Stevens abstained, stating that he still needed to check the implications of environmental permits.

However, BirdLife called this out as an “excuse that comes after over a year of discussions and delaying tactics”.

“Had it not been for the perseverance of Birdlife Malta, this item would have been dropped and never brought to a vote,” Sultana added.