Letters | Sunday, 28 March 2010

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Boycotting Malta holiday over animal welfare rules

Like many people in Europe, I expected that when Malta joined the EU the action on abysmal treatment of animals would improve. At first, with the introduction of the Animal Welfare Act 2002, the situation looked promising. Time has passed however and there has sadly been little change.
Cruelty to animals is rarely punished and strays are poisoned in the streets with seeming impunity.
The training of officials in recognising breaches of the Act is highly suspect, as is their will to prosecute offenders. When offenders are successfully prosecuted, the penalties handed down to them are woefully inadequate. The Animal Welfare Council, so pivotal to the success of the Act, is ineffectual and lacking in commitment. Any proposals it has managed to create have so far been shelved.
I respectfully ask you to carry out an urgent revision of the Animal Welfare Act in consultation with the Partnership for Active Animal Welfare Societies (PAAWS) and ensure that representatives of these groups comprise half of the Animal Welfare Council.
Since your judiciary tends to apply the minimum penalties for infractions of the Act, I would also ask you to increase these, with higher minimum fines and mandatory prison sentences for repeat offenders. Many thousands of euros change hands at dog fights and to fine the offenders a few hundred euros is derogatory and no deterrent.

I also urge you to open an aggressive investigation into the disappearance of street cats and the ongoing widespread poisonings. Maltese NGOs are doing considerable neutering and release work using their own limited resources. Please allocate funds to the collective SOS Animals Malta Animal Welfare Fund to enable them to continue this vital work, thus controlling the numbers of strays and reducing the risk of their unauthorised and sadistic killing.

Meanwhile your government refuses to ban the spring shooting of migratory birds in blatant breach of the EU Bird Directive. The EU is a democratic institution, membership of which carries a responsibility to abide by its rules. No member country can pick and choose over which ones it will follow. If the rules are inappropriate for Malta perhaps its membership is as well.
Please send a clear message that Malta will not tolerate cruelty to animals. Until such time as you do, I will regretfully be taking my holidays in countries that do more than pay lip-service to animal welfare.

Danilo Novajra
Italy

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