Brussels, 12/04/2010 (Agence Europe) - Birdlife International, an organisation for the protection of nature, has expressed indignation at the decision by the Maltese government to open the spring hunting season. It considers this is particularly inappropriate at a time when it is known that the EU will not be able to meet the objective that it has set itself for halting the loss of biodiversity by end 2010.
In a press release published on Friday 9 April, the NGO describes the Maltese decision as “shameful” and speaks of a “setback for nature conservation”, which is particularly disturbing as 2010 is supposed to be the International Year of Biodiversity.
“The Maltese government seems more interested in appeasing its domestic hunting lobby than in safeguarding one of Europe's major migration highways”, commented Ariel Brunner, Birdlife Europe's Head of EU Policy. Contrary to Maltese government claims that the new derogation conforms to the requirements of the EU Birds Directive, the NGO is convinced that the Maltese decision fails to satisfy key conditions required by EU legislation. It underlines that Malta has already been condemned by the European Court of Justice for allowing spring hunting in the past. (A.N./transl.jl)