The Nationalist Party cannot backtrack on its commitment to implement EU directives on the protection of nature and birds, Birdlife CEO Mark Sultana said during a meeting with Opposition leader Bernard Grech.

The meeting discussed infringement proceedings which the European Commission has started against the Maltese government concerning hunting and trapping derogations and the surprise handover of Miżieb and Aħrax woodlands to hunters' lobby FKNK. 

Sultana told Grech that the PN should not "buckle under pressure from the hunters' lobby" and should uphold its EU commitments if it wanted to respect public opinion. 

Birdlife had last month criticised Grech's reshuffle of the PN shadow cabinet, which saw David Thake removed as environment spokesperson, replaced by Robert Cutajar. 

"The message I get from the PN is that they are not pro-environment," Sultana had said. 

Grech meets Birdlife

During the meeting, Birdlife walked the PN leader through the organisation and its structure. 

Sultana shared the organisation's concerns about bird protection enforcement being taken out of the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) remit and told the PN leader that the Wild Birds Regulation Unit (WBRU) is run by trappers.

Also mentioned was “the vote-catching move” by the government to move the WBRU to the Gozo Ministry and how several aspects of the treaty negotiated with the EU prior to Malta’s accession had been continuously ignored by the present government. 

Grech was also presented with results that show how 2020 was a record one for illegal hunting casualties, due to poor enforcement and weakening of laws.