New laws to regulate zoos which upset animal rights activists are not "static or fixed" and require further consultation, Animal Rights Minister Anton Refalo has said.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Refalo said that over 1,500 suggestions have been sent in during a public consultation process for the proposed new laws.
The draft laws were published for public consultation on November 9 and originally forbade any direct interaction between the public and cubs or any other wild animal.
That provision was however removed without explanation 24 hours later and replaced with one stating that petting could take place if a vet is present.
A public consultation period for the laws ended earlier this month, but Refalo said he was open to further changes. His comments came when asked to justify the sudden and unexplained U-turn.
“This was clearly a controversial subject and we need to proceed with a sense of maturity. We need to do justice to everyone, and our laws must be equal to all,” Refalo began.
When pressed for a clearer answer, Refalo pointed out that processing over 1,500 suggestions is no easy feat for their department.
“Nothing about the change in petting laws or the framework in general is static or fixed. The ministry is considering all possibilities and I believe that we still need more consultation on the issue,” the minister said.
“A one-size-fits-all approach cannot succeed in this regard as zoos have different needs and different specifications, we opened up a public consultation so people could participate in the process instead of a decision being taken behind closed doors,” he added.
Animal rights activists have argued that the new laws do not do enough to protect wild animals from suffering and would continue to encourage profiteering from animals in captivity.
According to information tabled in parliament, there are almost 400 wild animals currently being held in captivity in Malta.
Aid for Malta’s dairy industry
The minister’s comments were given during a joint press conference with finance minister Clyde Caruana.
Caruana announced how the government planned to subsidise Malta Dairy Products Ltd by providing funding of up to €1 million.
“A factory can shut down and stop importing its raw materials during the pandemic, whilst dairy farmers cannot just 'stop' working with their livestock.
“Due to the challenges posed by COVID-19, we decided to help the local industry maintain its production by turning towards exportation,” Caruana said.
“Although we certainly have not resolved the issues that are being faced, we believe it is important to safeguard security of supply as well as the income of our local dairy farmers,” the finance minister added.
Refalo stated that the government has already disbursed €4 million in funding.
“Although it is a robust and resilient sector, the pandemic has given the industry a lot of problems. We want to support our farmers as much as we can and we want to make sure the industry is safe,” he added.