New Study May Allow Malta To Bypass EU Ruling Preventing Protected Bird Trappings
A study proposed by the Maltese government may lead to protected songbirds being trapped in nets once again… despite an EU court ruling banning the practice in 2018.
The European Court of Justice ruled that Malta was failing its conservative duties under the EU’s Wild Birds Directive by allowing certain protected wild finches to be captured alive. A trapping season for the songbirds has not been opened since.
However, Minister for Gozo Clint Camillieri’s proposal to consultative committee Ornis may bypass this ruling.
The proposal would allow the birds to be trapped in order to gather scientific data for a study on condition that they are set free a year later.
European authorities do not have adequate information to determine the impact of Maltese song-bird trappings and its effect on the European population.
Activist group BirdLife has warned that the proposal would allow trappers to ignore the Luxembourg court’s ruling, whilst the government has tried to negotiate new terms with the commission ever since.
The decision is expected to be made next month.
What do you think of the proposal?
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