BirdLife Malta has sent an open letter to Prime Minister Robert Abela following the massacre of protected birds during the past two days with enforcement practically non-existent. Details of the incident are found in this fact sheet.
BirdLife Malta writes to the Prime Minister demanding hunting season should remain closed till the 15th of October
BirdLife Malta CEO Mark Sultana stated: “The situation of bird protection has not been as bad since the 1980s. The way hunters are being given all they desire, and at the same time enforcement and regulations are weakened, is not only shameful but also illegal. This goes against the legal obligatons of Malta as an EU Member State. We have written to the Prime Minister to remind him of this obligation and if Dr Robert Abela cannot reassure that illegal hunting will be fought against with strict enforcement and better laws, then Malta should not have hunting seasons.
The Prime Minister should immediately condemn what has happened. The least he could do is to suspend the opening of the hunting season till after 15th October to safeguard the migration of protected species like raptors and herons. This needs to be supported by law enforcement units present in the countryside to monitor those who are still willing to break the law. The hunters have proven once again that they have taken the Government as hostage. The people of Malta, whose majority are against hunting, deserve better and the Prime Minister should show he has not lost control over this lobby with immediate effect”.
Read the open letter (in Maltese) sent to PM Robert Abela here.