Thanks to the determination of the Maltese Government and the strong political will of the Honourable Minister Clint Camilleri, who has fulfilled the obligations highlighted in the recent European Court of Justice case on live finch trapping (C23/23) against Malta, the Government's Citizen Science Finch Research Programme has entered its fifth consecutive year. This programme, implemented under derogation, demonstrates the government's commitment to reconciling conservation efforts with socio-cultural traditions.
On the other hand, BirdLife Malta (BLM), which must believe itself to be above the law, has undermined these efforts by refusing to fulfil its obligations as the EURING (European Bird-ringing scheme) representative for Malta. BLM's refusal to honour a government service contract, coupled with its opposition to the issuance of a bird ringing licence to an experienced, licensed, government-appointed bird ringer from Ireland, demonstrates a level of defiance that cannot be ignored.
The success of Malta's Citizen Science Finch Research Programme is evident. Unlike BLM's bird ringing approach, which can be carried out at any time of day or night and anywhere, including bird sanctuaries, and which has yielded an average annual catch of 9 finches over 44 years, the trappers, following strict rules, have caught an average of 1,137 finches over two years. These finches are immediately released back into the wild after being checked for scientific rings. This data from the trappers underlines the effectiveness of the programme and its contribution to valuable research.
To broaden the scientific scope of the programme, the Federation for Hunting and Conservation - Malta (FKNK) sought international cooperation. A government tender resulted in the engagement of Mr Declan Coney, a qualified Irish bird ringer, to apply scientific rings to some of the released finches that were not fitted with such rings at the time of capture. Despite Mr Coney's official licence and clear instructions from the government to provide him with scientific rings, BLM have refused to cooperate. Their negative response is an obstructionist tactic that undermines a nationally sanctioned research effort.
Minutes of Malta Ornis Committee meetings show that BLM agreed to supply the uniquely coded scientific rings required for the programme. However, their subsequent boycott and threats have created a hostile environment that discourages genuine scientific collaboration.
The FKNK CEO Lino Farrugia expressed his disappointment, saying:
"In my 40 years with FKNK, I have worked with various Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries from both PN (Nationalist) and PL (Labour) administrations. Today, despite challenges in certain areas, I commend Minister Clint Camilleri for his political determination and understanding of hunting and trapping traditions.
On the other hand, the behaviour of BLM has reached new lows. Their refusal to cooperate with a scientific program, possibly in violation of legal obligations, shows an arrogance unbecoming of an organisation that claims to be dedicated to conservation.”
Mr. Farrugia also highlighted the irony of BLM's stance:
"The government has granted BLM extensive rights, including vast areas of public land management, bird-ringing derogations and their principal EURING, whether legal or not, specific mention in local relative regulations, and significant taxpayer funding running into hundreds of thousands of euros. However, instead of using these resources for constructive purposes, BLM has resorted to harassment and obstruction of hunters and trappers, undermining the conservation efforts of both hunters and trappers.”
The FKNK remains strongly committed to the finch research programme. It has requested the intervention of the Wild Birds Regulation Unit (WBRU) to ensure the provision of the necessary scientific rings.
This situation, which can no longer be ignored, calls for reflection on whether BLM can truly represent the interests of Malta's natural environment and its people when it disregards government directives and scientific collaboration.
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