‘Government handpicked staff on hunting regulation unit’ – BirdLife

The government has acted discriminatorily by hand picking staff for the new Wild Birds Regulation Unit (WBRU), BirdLife Malta said.

The NGO was reacting to a statement issued by the government yesterday evening after BirdLife's representatives sitting on the Ornis Committee withdrew from an Ornis committee meeting in protest.

The NGO claimed that it walked out of the meeting because of the Wild Bird Regulations Unit's proposal for a derogation to allow the autumn trapping of song thrush and golden plover, which it described as "an inside job by the (hunters' federation) FKNK."

The committee also discussed the FKNK proposal to allow finch trapping, a report co-authored by Joseph Lia - WBRU's special initiatives offer. Until July, Lia was also listed as the FKNK's council member for live-bird trapping affairs.

In turn, the government denied BirdLife's allegations which it said were "incorrect since the proposal for the potential application of a live-capturing derogation for Golden Plover and Song Thrush has been made by the FKNK and not by the Government."

The government also deplored the "unethical and discriminatory" stand adopted by BirdLife, "which has chosen to discriminate against a public sector employee on the grounds of his legitimate past affiliation with a voluntary organisation."

In a statement issued today, BirdLife Malta reiterated that it considers Joe Lia "has too great a conflict of interest to be employed within the WBRU."

The NGO said: "This conflict of interest meant that BirdLife Malta could not remain at the Ornis Committee when proposals for the trapping of Song Thrush and Golden Plover were being discussed because Mr Lia was present as the government's technical expert. BirdLife Malta considers that it was taking an ethical stance when it made its decision to withdraw from Ornis for this agenda item."

BirdLife listed the main reasons why it took such a firm stand. Firstly, it said that Lia's listing as the FKNK council member for "Live-bird trapping" on the FKNK website was removed only after the publication of an article in the Times of Malta that drew attention to the conflict of interest between his role as an FKNK council member and his position as a technical officer at the WBRU.

Secondly, it said that there has yet to be any official statement by the FKNK confirming his resignation or removal from the hunters' federation council.

Thirdly, BirdLife said that while it does not question Lia's right to remain a member of the FKNK while being employed by the government, "there is a very big difference between being an ordinary member and someone who has had a position on their governing body."

The NGO added that Lia's role within the FKNK Council was specifically linked to his special interest in live trapping.

"His role within the WBRU also involves him in working on trapping issues on behalf of the government. It is very difficult to conclude that he can act with impartiality in view of this."

Moreover, BirdLife pointed out that "there has been no open and transparent recruitment process for staff of the new WBRU. Staff have been appointed or 'seconded' from elsewhere."

While government secondments to NGOs involve a call for applications and rigorous interviewing process, BirdLife said that no such process took place in the creation of the WBRU.

BirdLife Malta concluded that the government "has been discriminatory in favour of the appointment of Mr Lia to his role in the WBRU and other suitable candidates have not even had the chance to apply for such a role."