Massacre in Malta - MEP's response

Inspired by Chris Packham's actions I have written to my MEP's and my MP, I have had two replies back so far both identical  a copy of which you can read below.


Dear Ms Gillatt

Thank you for your email regarding the hunting and trapping of migrating birds in Malta.

As you mention in your email, the EU’s Birds Directive 2009 bans activities which directly threaten wild bird species, including the deliberate killing or capture of birds. In 2008 the European Court of Justice ordered the Maltese Government to limit spring hunting and ruled that bird trapping should be banned too.

It is however worrying that birds continue to be cruelly trapped and killed on Malta despite the activity supposedly being restricted. I and my Liberal Democrat colleagues take the protection of wild birds very seriously, whether the problem is in the UK or elsewhere in the world. 

My colleague Fiona Hall, Lib Dem MEP for the North East region, recently wrote to the Maltese Department for Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change.

The Ministry's response stated that Malta is fully committed to the implementation of the Birds Directive 2009/147/EC. With specific regard to Article 9 which states that a limited number of activities normally prohibited by the Birds Directive may be allowed under strict provisions, the Ministry says that any derogation applied by Malta "adhere strictly to the relevant legal and environmental parameters."

However, groups such as the RSPB and Birdlife Malta have a much less positive view of Malta's adherence to the requirements of the Directive, and both stress that a lot of work is still required to put pressure on the Maltese Government to help conserve migrants and breeding birds, and ensure 
that the EU rules regarding birds are fully implemented.

On 8th April, George Lyon MEP (Scotland) wrote to the European Commission on behalf of Lib Dem MEPs to enquire as to whether any further action is being taken on this issue, and we are currently awaiting a reply from the responsible department.  I look forward to reading the Commission’s response and will let you know of any further developments.

Thank you again for raising this issue with me and please be assured that the illegal trapping of birds in Malta is of great concern to me.