Decision on spring hunting expected soon

The government is expected to announce its decision on spring hunting in the coming days as the Ornis committee submitted its recommendations last week.

A spokesperson from the Ministry for Tourism, the Environment and Culture told MaltaToday: "The government will decide in line with the parameters of applicable legislation after considering all data pertaining to the autumn 2011 season. A decision is expected in the coming days."

"The government received the recommendations on spring hunting from the Ornis committee on 21 March 2012. Other views on spring hunting were received from various stakeholders," the spokesperson added.

Asked whether the government asked any other advisory boards to make recommendations on spring hunting, the ministry's spokesperson replied in the negative.

Meanwhile, Birdlife Malta spokesperson Nicholas Barbara told MaltaToday that the final recommendations submitted to the ministry by the Ornis committee were handed over without "holding any consultation within the committee".

Barbara explained that Birdlife Malta had asked the committee's chairman to circulate the final recommendations on 16 March, however the document was never received by the members of the Ornis committee and was submitted the following week without the approval of Birdlife Malta.

The committee is chaired by Louis Cilia and is composed of two Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FKNK) representatives and two Birdlife Malta representatives.

On 14 March, BirdLife Malta called for the resignation of Ornis Committee chairman Louis Cilia, after his submission of a proposal for the opening of an extended spring hunting as well as a trapping season.

The NGO said that Cilia sent his recommendations to the committee members just two days before a scheduled meeting, giving scant time for consideration of the document.

BirdLife Malta had boycotted the meeting, in which the committee was expected to discuss the recommendation for a spring hunting and trapping season.

Yesterday, the society revealed that the Malta Environment and Planning Authority have hastily commissioned a study on Turtle Dove and Quail migration in spring, which is scheduled to begin in nine days.

The organisation said that the study was one in a series of events which highlighted the run-up of the 2012 spring hunting saga, with decisions being taken behind closed doors without proper discussion or consultation with the Ornis Committee.