EURING, the organisation coordinating European bird ringing schemes, declared that finch trapping in Malta is not legitimate research and warned qualified bird ringers not to participate in it. In a statement, EURING expressed full support for Malta’s bird ringing scheme, managed by BirdLife Malta, which operates independently from the Maltese Government.
EURING’s statement follows serious reservations raised by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), a EURING member, regarding Malta’s derogation allowing finch trapping for seven species.
This marks the second condemnation in eight days, targeting the actions of an Irish bird ringer brought to Malta to assist the government in justifying finch trapping. The BTO also criticised the trapping season and suspended the licence of the Irish bird ringer collaborating with local trappers.
EURING is the organisation coordinating European bird ringing schemes. Its goals include:
- Promoting scientific and administrative cooperation between national bird ringing schemes
- Developing and maintaining high standards in bird ringing
- Conducting scientific studies on birds, particularly those involving marked individuals
- Using bird ringing data for bird management and conservation
These objectives are mainly achieved through cooperative projects, organising meetings, and collecting data in the EURING Databank.
You can read the full EURING statement here.
You can read the full statement by BTO here: BTO statement in relation to finch trapping and ringing in Malta | BTO – British Trust for Ornithology.