Eight environmental non-governmental organisations (eNGOs) have expressed support to BirdLife Malta’s call on European Commissioner for Environment to uphold the rule of law

This comes in relation to respecting a European Court of Justice verdict delivered on 19th September this year, related to the trapping of finches.

The verdict had found Malta guilty of breaching the EU Birds Directive when it permitted a ‘research derogation’ in past autumns on finches, leaving a one-month deadline for government to respond on how it would implement the sentence.

However, on 20th October, the government opted to re-open the season on finches irrespectively, permitting same conditions as previous years with some 3,500 trappers to trap finches using clap nets for a two-month period until 20th December.

“This is the second time in a matter of months where the Government is bulldozing arrogantly ahead against court decisions,” BirdLife Malta said in a statement. 

“Following Chief Justice Mark Chetcuti at the highest court decision in Malta on illegally built penthouses in Gozo, the Planning Authority has ‘legalised’ these two penthouses following application PA 3869/24,” it continued.

“Ironically both the hunting derogations and the planning fall under Minister Clint Camilleri who seems to have been given freedom to ride roughshod on these matters by the Prime Minister Robert Abela.”

“A legal notice permitting the finch trapping derogation only bears minimal changes compared to previous years, attempting to justify that there is no other alternative to research from where finches migrate, but to let all of Malta’s licensed trappers to continue trapping indiscriminately.”

“If Malta is at a state where our government breaches environmental directives, is stopped by the European Court of Justice, and continues permitting such breaches for fear of losing political favour, then this country’s environmental future is in dire straits.”

The eNGOs call on the EU Commission to scrutinise the goings-on in Malta and are backing BirdLife Malta’s demands to act as fast as possible with regards to the trapping derogation of seven species of finches.

BirdLife Malta’s claims are being supported by Din l-Art Ħelwa, Moviment Graffiti, Nature Trust Malta, Malta Rangers Unit, Friends of the Earth Malta, Ramblers Association, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar and Għawdix.

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