NEWS | Wednesday, 11 March 2009

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The Ornis Committee yesterday refrained from making any recommendations on the opening of the spring hunting season this year, BirdLife Malta said.
During the previous Ornis meeting, hunters’ lobby FKNK had requested that a decision on spring hunting should be taken. Chairman Louis Cilia called for an emergency meeting which took place yesterday afternoon.
BirdLife representatives on the committee referred to a statement made by European Commissioner for the Environment Stavros Dimas of the 26 February 2009, where the Commissioner stated that “the Commission would again apply to the Court for interim measures should Malta permit the hunting of birds during the spring period in 2009.”
The Commission sent a reasoned opinion to Malta in October 2007 whereby it called on Malta not to permit spring hunting of turtle dove and quail for 2008. Responding in January 2008, Malta did not stop spring hunting. As a result, the Commission referred the case to the European Court of Justice.
Given that the spring hunting season was imminent, the Commission also applied to the Court for interim measures, asking Malta not to allow spring hunting in 2008. On 24 April 2008 the Court concluded that the Maltese authorities should not adopt legislation permitting the hunting of birds during the spring period in 2008.
Whilst the Court has given its decision on the application for interim measures, the main case concerning the principle of spring hunting in general has still to be heard by the Court.
The Ornis committee yesterday decided not to make any recommendations to the Prime Minister.
BirdLife president Joseph Mangion said: “We expect the Prime Minister to respect EU law and not put Malta in another embarrassing position where the court might again apply an interim measure. It is now time to focus on illegal hunting and provide the ALE with much needed resources as we have already started to receive reports of illegal hunting.”
Spring hunting is banned in the EU under the Birds Directive. This protects birds from being shot just before the breeding season. The European Commission took Malta to the European Court of Justice in January 2008 for opening the spring hunting season every year since the accession. An interim measure was imposed on Malta to prevent the 2008 season opening.
In 2008, the Court stressed in its order the importance of protecting the EU’s common heritage and stated that “the interest of hunters does not appear to have a value superior thereto.”

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