It is beyond any reasonable doubt that human activities are causing a collapse of biodiversity and an impoverishment of ecosystems on a massive scale.
In view of the important European Parliament elections this May, BirdLife Malta has drafted a set of five priority issues which we are calling on political parties in Malta and their candidates for the MEP elections to consider, promote and endorse. These include global issues but also local environmental activities that might not fall in line with the spirit of conservation.
This manifesto has been sent to all of Malta’s European Parliament candidates and we’re requesting their responses to each of the 10 questions in the document. From climate change to ODZ development, from the transport challenges to clean air, from hunting and trapping derogations to the need of better enforcement, from biodiversity loss to unsustainable fisheries and bycatch…we feel it is our responsibility to put the natural environment on the agenda and their obligation to relate, think and reply on their position.
We have also announced our upcoming MEP Breakfast Debate with the EP election candidates which will be held on Friday 3rd May 2019 at the Salina Nature Reserve’s Visitor Centre between 8am and 10am. A number of candidates from each party have accepted our invitation to attend and respond to questions related to the environment from a local and global context. Partit Laburista (PL) will be represented by MEP candidates Robert Micallef and Alfred Sant, Partit Nazzjonalista (PN) will be represented by Peter Agius and Frank Psaila, Alternattiva Demokratika (AD) will be represented by Carmel Cacopardo and Partit Demokratiku (PD) will be represented by Anthony Buttigieg.
The event is open to all and participation is free, however one needs to register here.
Below are the responses we received from the European Parliament election candidates. We sent the questionnaire to all of the 41 MEP candidates. These are the only ones who responded (click on the names to open the response sent):
Agius Peter (PN)
Borg P Antoine (Brain, not ego)
Briguglio Michael (PN)
Cacopardo Carmel (AD)
Cassola Arnold (Independent)
Cauchi Inglott Martin (PD)
Farrugia Godfrey (PD)