Brussels is set to take Malta to the European Court for violating a ban on bird trapping.  

Government sources confirmed with Times of Malta that the European Commission is expected to take Malta to the European Court of Justice.  

The legal action comes after trappers have been participating in a catch-and-release ‘study’, despite the Commission having warned Malta to stop the practice or face possible court action.

The scheme was first introduced last year after the European Commission effectively banned a regular season.

Bird trappers were in August asked to apply for participation in another ‘study’ despite Brussels having warned Malta to stop the practice or face possible court action.

The contentious practice of trapping protected finches using cages and nets was effectively banned by the European Court of Justice in 2018. It declared that, by allowing the live capture of seven species of protected wild finches, Malta was failing to fulfil its conservation obligations.

Last year, the government went ahead and opened the season anyway, claiming it was for a scientific study to ring birds and re-release them.

In March, Times of Malta reported that the government had written to the European Commission to inform it that it planned to continue allowing trapping for research purposes this year too.

The decision to forge ahead was widely criticised by ornithologists and environmentalists who accused the authorities of trying to fool the EU.