BirdLife Malta was refused access
to data about more than 8,000 sites where trapping is authorised each year.
The sprawl of trapping sites that
has characterised trapping seasons over the past years has resulted in
unaccounted destruction of pristine habitats, with little or no enforcement.
This has been confirmed following various reports filed by BirdLife Malta
requesting action over non-registered trapping sites over the past trapping
seasons for which no action has resulted to date.
According to legislation in force
since 2014 - when the finch trapping derogation was coined by the Wild Birds
Regulation Unit (WBRU) - trappers were allowed to register up to two sites per
trapping licence where trapping sites could be set up. The framework
legislation permitting trapping of finches and of Song Thrush and Golden
Plover, only allows for the re-activation of trapping sites if they have
existed before 2012 (as seen from aerial photography), and were not located on
protected habitats within Natura 2000 sites. The vetting process which was
carried out solely by WBRU officials prior to trapping seasons has since then
authorised up to 8,000 sites for each trapping season – an area larger than the
size of Valletta.
Despite the fact that the
Environment & Resources Authority (ERA) is the competent authority when it
comes to the protection of land, WBRU has been the entity in charge of
authorising this land use, with ERA only giving its go-ahead during Ornis Committee
meetings, on the condition of enforcement being carried out by WBRU and police.
During the Ornis Committee meeting on the 10th of May 2017, ERA voted in favour
of a finch trapping season on the condition that “compliance and enforcement is
guaranteed and implemented by WBRU and the police force”. However, despite
queries sent over the years to all authorities to publicise the 8,000 plus
locations where WBRU has authorised such trapping, the Environment Ministry has
refused to divulge this information quoting privacy issues, with all other
entities concerned with the enforcement namely ERA and the police redirecting
such queries to WBRU.
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