The Green Deal and being more European is the best thing that can happen to Malta

December 5, 2020 3:36 pm

The latest Infringement Proceedings initiated by the European Commission against the Maltese Government on spring hunting and trapping are the result of Prime Minister Robert Abela being given erroneous advice from Minister Clint Camilleri. Malta in 2020 should be aligning itself to the European Green Deal and not taking measures to destroy more biodiversity.

Malta should be aware that it cannot be a European Union Member State à la carte and that the spirit of the EU Accession Treaty must be respected.  More so, BirdLife Malta calls on Minister Miriam Dalli to live up to the European Green Deal.

Earlier this week the European Commission announced Infringement Proceedings against Malta on all active hunting and trapping derogations

BirdLife Malta calls out ludicrous and undemocratic claims by hunting lobby that it is harming Malta

With the European Commission finally holding Malta’s Government accountable for the wrong decisions taken in opening hunting and trapping derogations based on the wrong advice of Clint Camilleri, Malta’s reputation has been put in bad light because of decisions that took us back in time.

Accusations that Birdlife Malta is harming Malta are laughable and ludicrous. BirdLife Malta has over its 58 years of existence raised millions of Maltese liri and euro into the Maltese economy in education, nature reserves and research. In the last 16 years of European Union membership, we have successfully won millions of euro in funds for employing people in the environment sector and scientific research.

The hunting lobby, on the other hand, has worked hard to preserve outdated habits, blackmail politicians with their vote, kill protected species and block conservation measures that will serve future generations.

The hunting lobby in Malta should realise that it is high time they stop taking their privileges for granted and that their abusive actions – in particular with illegal hunting and trapping – have harmed Malta for decades, earning us the reputation as a country where “what flies, dies”.

Birdlife Malta calls on Prime Minister Robert Abela and Opposition Leader Bernard Grech to realise that the vast majority of Maltese and Gozitans are not hunters or trappers and want to live in a modern country which embraces the European Green Deal and not renege on it.

Read the Maltese version of the press release here.