Malta in about-turn on bird hunting laws

03-04-2006

Europe's worst offenders on illegal bird hunting and trapping are finally showing signs of coming into line with EU bird protection laws.

Each year thousands of migrating birds are shot illegally in Malta, including such species as Marsh Harrier, Honey Buzzard, Black-winged Stilts and the threatened Purple Heron.

But to make things worse, an estimated 100,000 Turtle Doves and other species with declining populations in Europe are shot in total conformity with Malta's national laws, mostly as they pass through the island on their spring migration to northern Europe from Africa. [1]

In July 2005 BirdLife International and BirdLife Malta, lodged a formal complaint with the EU Commission about the failure of the Maltese Government to adequately transpose the EU Birds Directive (79/409/EEC) in relation to this rampant bird hunting and trapping. [2]

As a result of this, the European Commission looked set to start a formal infringement procedure against Malta. However, with no prior warning, the Maltese Government introduced a last minute change of its national laws to strengthen bird conservation on the island, bringing it more into line with the rest of the European Union.

"After many years of hard work by BirdLife, other conservation organisations and EU Institutions, Malta has finally accepted that it has been breaching European legislation since entering the EU two years ago," commented Konstantin Kreiser from BirdLife International's Brussels office.

"The law changes came literally overnight. And although it is obvious that this ‘understanding’ only happened after the threat of being taken to the European Court became immediate, we now hope to see considerable progress for bird conservation within Malta."

Although a detailed assessment of the new provisions still needs to be undertaken, it appears as if the Maltese hunting seasons for several bird species will be shortened, so that hunting no longer takes place during spring migration and the breeding season. Trapping of a number of species will now be outlawed by Maltese law, and the use of speed boats to hunt birds (such as ducks) at sea will also be made illegal. [3, 4]

Although the trapping of seven species of finch may go on until 2008 under certain conditions, any trapping in spring will be illegal from now on. [5]

Despite these promising developments, Malta is still claiming to use exemptions ('derogations') to enable the hunting of migratory Turtle Doves and Common Quail between March and May to continue. Currently Malta argues that these birds have to be hunted then, because it is the only time they occur on the island. However, this is not the case, as the two species also pass back through Malta on their return Autumn migration.

As a result, BirdLife urges the European Commission not to approve this derogation, as the conditions of the EU Birds Directive are not met.

The Maltese Government also say that the new laws do not apply to the current 2006 spring hunting season – only coming into force at the end of May, by which time tens of thousands more birds will have been killed.

And although the law will tighten up hunting regulations, it remains to be seen what the Maltese Government will do to tackle the massive amount of illegal hunting that takes place.

"Although this move by the Maltese Government is a step in the right direction, we hope that it is not just a token gesture, and that the new hunting law is properly enforced to ensure that Malta ceases to be the graveyard of so many of Europe's migratory birds," added Konstantin Kreiser.

ENDS

Contacts

For further information please contact:

Konstantin Kreiser EU Policy & Advocacy Officer at the European Community Office of BirdLife’s International in Brussels. Tel: +32-2-2800830, email Konstantin.Kreiser@birdlifeeco.net
Ed Parnell, BirdLife International Communications Officer, Cambridge, UK. Tel: +44 1223 277318, email: ed.parnell@birdlife.org

Photos

Hi-res photos of the bird casualties of hunting in Malta are available from the BirdLife International Communications Office (ed.parnell@birdlife.org)

Notes for Editors

[1] With c. 16,800 registered hunters and trappers in Malta in a population of 400,000, there is a powerful hunting lobby in the country. Some estimates put the annual number of birds killed at roughly 2 million birds, with thousands of song birds trapped for the caged bird trade.

[2] BirdLife International is a partnership of people working together for birds and the environment. It promotes sustainable living as a means of conserving birds and all other forms of biodiversity and is the leading authority on the status of birds and their habitats. Over 10 million people support the BirdLife Partnership of national non-governmental conservation organisations and local networks. BirdLife Malta is the BirdLife Partner in Malta.

[3] Although the legal Maltese hunting season for Turtle Dove and Quail was from 25th March to 22nd May, this was in breach of the EU Birds Directive Article 7(4) because this hunting season overlapped the pre-breeding migration of these species.

[4] Malta was breaking EU laws by allowing the trapping of Turtle Dove, Quail, Song thrush and Golden Plover from 1st September to 31st January, and again for Turtle Dove & Quail from 25th March to 22nd May. These activities are prohibited by Art.8(1) of the Birds Directive. The Turtle Dove has declined by approximately 70% across Europe over the last 25 years.

[5] In respect of a transition period (until 2008) negotiated for the trapping of seven species of finches, Malta was not respecting the agreed conditions that accompany this generous concession of the EU: By allowing the finch trapping season to extend all the way up to 10th April, it was not honouring the condition that “measures taken during the transitional measure shall be in full accordance with the principles governing the timing of hunting of migratory birds” as outlined in the Birds Directive. Data show that at the latest from the end of January onwards these finches are on their return migration to breed in Europe, and furthermore, some of them are likely to breed in Malta if left unmolested. In this period trapping must not be allowed, otherwise EU law is infringed.