BirdLife calls on all political parties to support tomorrow’s Majjistral Park parliamentary motion

● ‘Extending hunting and trapping hours goes against the very concept of a national park for nature and should be revoked’

BirdLife Malta yesterday called on all political parties to support tomorrow’s Majjistral Park parliamentary motion tabled by Partit Demokratiku’s MP Godfrey Farrugia against the extended Majjistral Park hunting and trapping hours.

BirdLife Malta called on all Members of Parliament to bear in mind that “extending hunting and trapping hours in such a site goes against the very concept of a national park where many go to enjoy the beauty of nature.”

Yesterday, the NGO stressed that: “One must not forget that the Majjistral Heritage Parks Federation, which is made up of the three NGOs, Din l-Art Ħelwa, Gaia Foundation and Nature Trust Malta, objected to this unilateral decision that was taken by the government and also questioned the legality of the Legal Notice which extended the hunting and trapping hours since it was issued without the mandatory period of public consultation.

“In view of the fact that, on Monday, Parliament will debate the motion which was presented on 23 November for this decision to be revoked, one expects all the political parties to support this motion whilst bearing in mind that this extension was imposed against the advice of the same board that manages the park whose members were appointed by the government itself.

“It is disturbing to note that, according to media reports, the PN Opposition is casting doubt on this motion and could even declare a position against it. More so when it is a known fact that the Majjistral Nature & History Park was created by a PN government back in 2007 as a project with the aim to protect the landscape and biodiversity in the area.

“Today more than ever before Malta’s Members of Parliament must prove that they have the courage to put the national interest before that of their party.”

The Majjistral Heritage Parks Federation has called into question the legality of the new Legal Notice of 27 October which extended the hunting and trapping hours to 12.30 pm and 2.30 pm respectively, since this was issued without the mandatory period of public consultation and thus goes against the Environment Planning Act and the Aarhus Convention regarding environmental information to the public and public participation in the environment decision-making process.

PN to move its own amendment calling for consultation process

The Nationalist Party yesterday evening said it will be moving an amendment of its own tomorrow, after it was approved during a meeting of the PN parliamentary group.

The PN’s two deputy leaders, David Agius and Robert Arrigo, will be proposing that since there was no agreement on the extension of the opening hours – a position that has been opposed by Nature Trust, Gaia Foundation and Din l-Art Helwa – a wide consultation process is opened with the participation of all the stakeholders.

The PN invited the government to approve this amendment so that an acceptable solution is found.