EU Affairs
EU targets Malta on spring hunting
By MaltaMedia News
Oct 17, 2007 - 4:16:46 PM

The European Commission is sending a final warning letter to Malta for allowing the hunting of two species of birds. A first warning had already been sent in July 2006.

The Commission said currently laws in Malta allow the hunting of the birds during spring, a key period of migration and breeding. In taking this step, the Commission is asking Malta to bring its rules on hunting into line with the EU’s Wild Birds Directive.

In another case, the Commission is halting legal proceedings against Cyprus regarding spring hunting, following a commitment that hunting would not be permitted during this period in the future.

Commenting on the Commission’s action, Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said: “The sustainable hunting of wild birds is possible provided it takes place under strict conditions. By taking these measures the Commission is seeking to ensure that rules for the conservation of bird species are followed throughout the EU to help prevent biodiversity loss.”

The final written warning to Malta, which follows the first written warning in July 2006, concerns the hunting of quails (Coturnix coturnix) and turtle doves (Streptopelia turtur) during spring. The hunting of these migratory birds takes place during their return from Africa to breeding grounds in Europe, before they have had a chance to reproduce. The impact on bird numbers is therefore more significant than it would be in autumn or winter, after the breeding season. The Commission believes that alternative solutions to spring hunting exist, in this case the possibility to hunt the two species in the autumn.

Hunting is regulated in the EU by the 1979 Wild Birds Directive. Although the Directive contains a general prohibition on the killing of wild birds, it does allow certain species to be hunted provided this does not happen during breeding or migration.

The Commission said it supports sustainable hunting, and a ground-breaking agreement on sustainable hunting was signed in 2004 by hunters and bird conservationists at EU level.

BirdLife International immediately welcomed the decision by the European Commission to send Malta a final written warning, reminding that every spring since its accession to the EU in 2004, Malta has permitted hunting of Turtle Dove and Common Quail, in direct contravention of the EU Birds Directive.

BirdLife now calls on the Maltese government to respond to the Commission’s warning  by officially declaring the end of spring hunting in Malta , for 2008 and beyond. If it fails to do so, BirdLife will urge the European Commission to apply to the European Court of Justice for an immediate order.

BirdLife said that, based on its complaint, the Commission started legal action against Malta in 2006 but progress was slow. Earlier this year, the European Parliament had called on the Commission “to redouble its efforts to persuade the Maltese authorities to comply fully with Community law”.

BirdLife International and BirdLife Malta said they have continuously campaigned against spring hunting in Malta because the Maltese Islands are located on an important bird migration route in the Mediterranean. A recent study analysing the ring recoveries in Malta , showed that birds originating from a minimum of thirty-six European countries fly over Malta each year.