BirdLife Malta strongly condemns the decision by the Wild Birds Regulation Unit (WBRU) to reopen applications for the transfer of stuffed protected birds between private collections, arguing that the move is sending bird conservation efforts back by over two decades.
The move revives a controversial system first reintroduced by then Parliamentary Secretary Roderick Galdes in 2015, which allowed hunters to transfer between them birds declared in an amnesty last given in 2003. At the time, a large proportion of bird declarations were not yet vetted by enforcement authorities, allowing practically the laundering of bird collections to fill wish lists and allowing hunters who did not have a collection after 2003, to start building one up. This renewed a demand for protected species fuelling the illegal killing of birds across the islands as well as offshore to locations such as Egypt, Senegal and Argentina.
In between 2015 and 2020, the WBRU had as a result, received over 9,600 applications requesting the transfer of over 70,000 birds in collections to swap ownership – putting great strain on the resources afforded to authorities such as WBRU and ERA to vet each and every single application and bird. Unable to meet this overwhelming demand, the transfer opportunities had been closed, essentially reducing the demand on protected species.
Coincidentally in March 2022, days before the previous general election, the Government had given in to pressure by the taxidermy lobby to allow the transfer of vetted specimens. It is believed that only up to half of the 9,600 applications received between 2015 and 2020 have to date been processed, due to a lack of resources at ERA and WBRU to meet the task.
Over recent months, pressure mounted by hunting groups such as the Malta Taxidermy Federation within the FKNK was evident with continuing requests at the Ornis Committee to permit the taxidermy of protected species through roughshod MoUs with the WBRU. Several Members of Parliament also actively supported the organisation of a taxidermy fair at Luqa organised just last March.
Once again, days before a general election, the possibility for hunters to transfer birds is being given, this time re-opening the same 2015-2020 time window which had overwhelmed enforcement authorities, and also renewed a passion for the killing and collection of protected bird species, resulting in the laundering of tens of thousands of protected bird species between hunters. Such transfers fly in the face of international obligations in the trade of protected species such as CITES which are waived when hunters ‘donate’ such specimens to each other, while evidently bird specimens carry thousands of euros of value depending on species.
The move in favour of hunters intent on collecting protected species comes also after trappers have been recently granted the possibility of sitting for an exam and applying for a trapping licence last March. Around 2,000 new trappers are expected to pass the simple examination which could see Malta’s trapper population going from just under 4,000 to around 6,000 individuals – despite Malta’s accession treaty to halt the issuing of new trapping licences having only been breached once in 2014 allowing new applications then.
BirdLife Malta said it is deeply concerning that these concessions are once again being made on the eve of a general election, continuing a pattern of giving in to the hunting and trapping lobby unashamedly. “These decisions are not aimed at bona fide hunters who respect the law. They serve those intent on circumventing regulations protecting vulnerable and migratory species,” BirdLife Malta said.
It is clear that Robert Abela’s intention for the next 5 years is not aligned with the conservation of wild birds, but a continued giving in to the hunting lobby, especially on aspects that breach Malta’s international obligations at a European and global scale. Such measures collectively legitimise the continued persecution and commercialisation of protected birds while undermining Malta’s conservation obligations and international reputation.
“At a time when Malta should be strengthening enforcement and protection efforts, Government is instead reopening loopholes that facilitate abuse and further weaken safeguards for protected species,” BirdLife Malta concluded.
Read our press release in Maltese.
Announcement by the Wild Birds Regulation Unit on the 25th May 2026 announcing it will restart accepting applications for the transfer of ownership of taxidermy collections which will be open for a month between May and June this year.
Post by FKNK’s Malta Taxidermy Federation of the 25th May 2026 declaring it is still unhappy with the re-opening of bird transfers. The Federation has been actively attempting to force the Wild Birds Regulation Unit in accepting the taxidermy of protected species through the Ornis Committee and direct meetings with politicians.
Dumped stuffed birds reported to police. The dumping of old stuffed birds from taxidermy collections – a resulting symptom from the transfer of ownership of taxidermy collections. As new hunters buy off the list of stuffed birds off under hunters, this presents a new opportunity to renew bird collections which are then legally registered. The process opens up the possibility of recently shot protected species to be legally registered in new collections.