In view of the fact that we have a government who does not give a damn about public opinion and about the country’s obligations as a European Union (EU) member state by allowing hunters to roam the countryside in spring when everybody knows they shoot on protected birds – including the vulnerable Turtle-dove – BirdLife Malta will avail itself of every possible avenue to restrain this cowardly decision by the Government.
BirdLife Malta files Complaint after hunting licences were issued by the Gozo Ministry in breach of the law
That is why following the Judicial Protest filed in Court earlier this year in regard to the illegal decision by Prim Minister Robert Abela to place the hunting regulator under the Ministry for Gozo, today BirdLife Malta filed a Complaint with the Police Commissioner. This was done after hunting licences were issued by the Gozo Ministry when according to all of Malta’s environmental legislation the Gozo Minister has no legal right to issue this document. This means that the licences are invalid and all those who are in the countryside hunting are breaking the law.
To this end BirdLife Malta has today requested the Police Commissioner to take all legal necessary measures at his disposal to withdraw the hunting licences of all those who in the past weeks have taken to the countryside to kill protected birds as evidenced by the several videos which have been published by environmental NGOs such as BirdLife Malta and the Commitee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS).
Following the presentation of the Complaint to the Police Commissioner at the Police General Headquarters in Floriana, BirdLife Malta President Darryl Grima and CEO Mark Sultana explained in a press conference that this clear evidence acquired by BirdLife Malta confirms how the decision to place hunting and trapping under the remit of Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri was clearly in breach of the law.
The Police were asked to take immediate action to ensure that all those who are out hunting with an invalid licence are taken to Court as stipulated by Malta’s environment laws.
Read the Maltese version of the press release here. You can also read the Complaint filed with the Police Commissioner here.
