EU COURT TO STOP ILLEGAL BIRD HUNTING

4.25.00pm GMT Wed 13th Feb 2008

A local Euro MP has welcomed the news that the European Court of Justice is to clamp down on the illegal hunting and trapping of wild birds in Malta. The island is on African migration routes for many species which live part of the year in the UK, including the turtle dove, gold finch and short-eared owl.

Liberal Democrat MEP Liz Lynne has long campaigned on animal welfare issues and during recent months received many letters from worried and angry constituents wanting the practice to stop. Sustained campaigning by MEPs and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds amongst others, as well as a lack of action by Malta government, led the European Commission to take the island's government to court, which could result in a hefty fine.

Speaking today Liz Lynne said:

"This is good news for animal lovers everywhere. The Maltese government has had years to adjust to EU standards of animal welfare, but it has chosen to ignore them since joining the EU in 2004. For this reason they will now have to explain themselves in court.

"It was also suspected that Malta was allowing hunting of threatened species such as the osprey and honey buzzard so I hope that this, if proven correct, will be punished.

"It is not acceptable for a government to sign up to a directive, and then turn it into national law, only to turn a blind eye to illegal hunting. Let us hope that this will send a strong signal to all governments to take animal welfare seriously, and that this will lead to better protection for Europe's bird population."

The number of turtle doves has fallen by two-thirds since the early 1970s with illegal hunting in Malta thought to be a large factor in the decline.