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- European Court bans spring hunting for 2008
- BirdLife reiterates its position & calls for end to spring hunting
- Honey Buzzard shot and mutilated
- EU issues final warning to Malta about spring hunting
- NGOs call for political parties to unite against spring hunting
- EU Commission takes Malta to Court over spring hunting
- European outrage as spring hunting begins
- Spring hunting provoking EU legal action - BirdLife Malta
- Significant increase in killing of protected species
- Malta is clearly setting a terrible example - BirdLife
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During a press conference held regarding the vandalism of 3000 trees at the Foresta 2000 site, Environment Minister George Pullicino announced that the hunting season will be closed as of tomorrow. This is 10 days before it was originally scheduled to close. He said that a legal notice would be published within the next few hours. BirdLife Malta President Joseph Mangion said that this news came as a surprise, but followed the massacre of Honey Buzzards which occurred in Malta yesterday.
“We acknowledge that this is a departure from the previously entrenched position of the government on spring hunting. This is a very positive decision that will benefit people, Malta’s international image and wild bird conservation both in Malta and abroad,” Mangion said.
Yesterday birdwatchers reported hundreds of Honey Buzzards flying into Malta from the Zurrieq area. After 6:30 pm, a group of approximately 150 Honey Buzzards descended towards the centre of Malta in order to roost and spend the night before continuing their long journey to their European breeding grounds. Birdwatchers reported hunters shooting at these birds particularly in the Handaq area as well as other locations in the south. BirdLife Malta immediately alerted Administrative Law Enforcement units.
BirdLife has frequently advised the Maltese government that continuing to allow spring hunting could not be justified before the European Commission, nor could it be strictly policed. One of the problems of spring hunting is that it opens the door to the shooting of protected species, BirdLife said. The EU Birds Directive does not allow hunting in spring to protect wild birds before they are about to reproduce.
The Maltese government’s insistence on allowing the shooting of turtle dove and quail not only endangers the populations of these species in other European countries but also creates a blanket season for many hunters to kill protected species, BirdLife said.
“We are pleased to see that the government has realised the error of the course they were pursuing in allowing spring hunting, which is illegal in the rest of the European Union. We sincerely hope that this will be the end of spring hunting and trapping in Malta.” Joseph Mangion concluded.
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