Stop the EU Birds Directive being undermined by Malta
(Those who have no time to scroll the full text can join Proact in
protesting direct to the EU commissioners and MEPs against exceptions being
made to the Bird Directive for Malta on accession at:
< http://www.proactnow.org/noexceptions >)
Please forward this link to friends, colleagues and other contacts.
<...>
"As you probably know, the RSPB has been campaigning for many years to get
better protection for birds in Malta. In particular, to outlaw both spring
shooting and the trapping and sale of finches.
Malta is currently negotiating to join the European Union. We had feared
that they would want exceptions to European bird protection laws but had
been assured by Commission officials that Malta would be required to adopt
the EC Birds Directive without any concession.
However, in the last few weeks it has become evident that some special deal
is being negotiated. If the deal goes ahead, Malta will be able, for a
limited period, to continue finch trapping and possibly spring
shooting of turtle doves and quail too.
Spring hunting and bird trapping are both activities, which are clearly
forbidden by the EC Birds Directive. Furthermore, turtle dove and quail,
as well as having an unfavourable conservation status in Europe, are
included in the recent UK red list of bird species of high conservation
concern.
Any special exceptions for Malta would set a terrible precedent that could
have serious consequences on Europe's migratory birds, including those that
breed in the UK. However "limited" they were, there would
inevitably be problems with enforcement. Furthermore, we might expect that
Malta would seek to make them permanent once it was a full voting member of
the EU. Finally and worse still, other countries in southern Europe might
use this as a precedent to return to the very mass killing of migrants that
the Birds Directive was designed to halt.
In its official submission to the recent World Summit on Sustainable
Development, the Maltese Government recognised that the hunting and trapping
of birds on the island is not sustainable. Yet despite this admission, and
just weeks after the Johannesburg Summit, Europe's Governments are
apparently prepared to endorse these practices.
We need to put pressure on the UK Government now to stand firm on this issue
and not compromise laws that other European countries have successfully
abided by for more than 20 years. If you would like to
help you can write a letter to Rt Hon Peter Hain MP, Minister for Europe,
Foreign and Commonwealth Office, King Charles Street, London SW1A 2AH
demanding that he insists on full application of the EC Birds
Directive, with no exceptions for Malta.
Please write as soon as possible as time is of the essence - the decision on
this could be taken in just a few weeks.
If you have not written a letter of this kind before, the following tips may
be helpful:
* Keep your letter short. The more concise a letter is the better.
* You are welcome to copy the points above but your letter will make a
bigger impact if you can use your own words and experiences.
Please send a copy of your letter (and any replies you receive) to Sarah
Burr in RSPB Government Affairs This will help us
to monitor the effectiveness of our campaign.
Thank you for your support. I am sure by writing you will have made a real
difference.
Alistair Gammell"
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