Where is the Ornis committee?

Wild animals in captivity Environmental heroes

When a kestrel was shot down over St Edward’s College two years ago, the Prime Minister closed the hunting season prematurely, saying that the incident was inexcusable.

A similar incident this week did not provoke the same reaction from Joseph Muscat, who has been insisting that he cannot close the season without a recommendation to that effect by the Ornis committee. So the onus has now been placed on the Ornis committee, which has confirmed that, until yesterday morning, it had not recommended to the government to close down the season. This despite the fact that over 25 protected birds have been shot down since the start of the season on 1 September.

Where is the Ornis committee? Why is it not working to stamp out hunting abuses?

While some of its members hail from the prohunting lobby and will clearly not call for the hunting season to close, others should, in our opinion, be stamping their feet harder.

If they feel that they are outnumbered and that any attempt by their part will be defeated by a pro-hunting majority then they should just step down in protest. What would be the point of staying on?

Editor’s pick

The Malta Society for the Protection and Care of Animals (MSPCA) yesterday expressed its concerns about the wild animals that were killed in a blaze that engulfed a zoo in Mtahleb.

While expressing concern over the growing number of reports of wild animals in private collections in Malta, MSPCA said it was saddened by the “unnecessary” death of the animals killed on Tuesday.

It is completely right in saying that these deaths were unnecessary. Wild animals belong in the wild, not in a cage, including in countries where the climate is completely different to the one their species is accustomed to.

In another atrocious turn of events, an illegally-built zoo in Siggiewi has been sanctioned by the PA after its board heard attendees speak about the therapeutic effects the park has on children with disabilities.

The fact is that animals are being caged for the benefit of some individuals. Call it what you may, but this is still exploitation of animals. Furthermore, dogs and horses are much more suited to therapy than caged lions, tigers and pumas.

Lastly, kudos to those environment-loving organisations that took it upon themselves to do what the authorities have failed to do – cleaning up the seabed and removing tonnes of waste that is hazardous to marine life. The work was carried out by NGO Healthy Seas and its partners Ghost Fishing, Sharklab - Malta and Żibel.

It came at a time when the problem of waste, particularly plastic, in our oceans was being discussed during the Our Oceans conference in Malta. They removed large amounts of discarded or lost fishing gear and nets – the so-called ‘ghost nets’, which continue catching fish even after they are discarded. A coastal and shore clean-up was held at the same time.

On a positive note the government yesterday announced that it will establish a new unit dedicated for the study, protection, preservation as well as the management of care, exposition and appreciation of its unique underwater cultural heritage. It will have a budged of €1.6 million.

While at first glance the budget may not seem much, this is a step in the right direction.