Birdlife asks government not to open spring hunting season

Birdlife Malta has asked that government refrain from opening next year’s spring hunting season, even for quail and repeated its call for the establishment of a Wildlife Crime Unit.

During the environmental NGO’s 57th annual general meeting, Birdlife’s Secretary General Saviour Balzan outlined the work carried out during the past year, including efforts to increase people engagement, membership and visibility together with the several initiatives taken on a conservation, educational, land management and policy level. Balzan spoke about the present projects BirdLife Malta is leading, which include BirdLife Malta’s LIFE Arċipelagu Garnija project, and also about other projects which are in the pipeline.

He made particular emphasis on the investment being made to make the eNGO’s nature reserves more visitor-friendly and mentioned how the number of visitors to these sites – including school children – has increased in the past year.

With the AGM being held just a few days before the start of this year’s trapping season this Sunday, in his introduction Saviour Balzan also referred to the continuous monitoring of illegal hunting and trapping activities and promised that BirdLife Malta will “continue to push the authorities for the establishment of the much-needed Wildlife Crime Unit.”

CEO Mark Sultana presented to members the renewed BirdLife Malta Strategy 2020-22 before BirdLife Malta President Darryl Grima brought the AGM to a close with a short address. A number of videos were also shown to the audience during the meeting, including a feature about the latest illegally shot protected birds which were released back to the wild by BirdLife Malta following a period of rehabilitation.