Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1009910
NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 1 AUGUST 2018 KARL AZZOPARDI WITH the Lampuki (Dolphin fish) season drawing closer, fishermen are facing an issue that looks to haunt them for years to come, if not addressed immediately. One of the many tasks ahead of the fishing season, is the col- lection of palm leaves which are essential for the complete and fully functional construc- tion of the apparatus needed in order to attract and catch the Lampuki. In order to successfully catch a Lampuka, fishermen prepare rows of 'cimi' one after the other, which consist of a palm leaf knotted with a jablo float, attached to a weight anchored on the sea bed. Lampuki proceed to bask under the palm leaf, and fish- ermen surround the fish with nets and ensue to haul in the catch. A fisherman who spoke to MaltaToday expressed his con- cern on the diminishing num- ber of palm trees on the island, claiming that the improper way of pruning the leaves, makes the trees prone to further dam- age by the infamous palm wee- vil, resulting in further loss. Peter Calamatta, a horticul- turalist, told MaltaToday that when pruning the Phoenix Ca- nariensis, spraying insecticide is critical to ensure that the palm weevil does not attack the tree, especially in highly dense areas. The fisherman also spoke about the illegalities which have ensued down the years, claiming that fishermen resort to stealing palm leaves from public spaces like a roundabout when faced with no other op- tion. "I know of fishermen that in- struct three or four unknowing foreigners that work for them, to go on roundabouts and bring palm leaves from the trees. While the foreigners prune the leaves, they wait around the corner and if any authorities come on site, they run away," the fisherman claimed. The fisherman expressed his satisfaction with how the gov- ernment had distributed palm trees for the upcoming fishing season, through a scheme by which fishermen could apply for a number of branches. "I really liked the way the gov- ernment has distributed the palm leaves this year. When you need about 200 to 300 palm leaves for each fishing vessel, it's nice to see fair distri- bution," he said. Asked if a replacement can be found instead of the palm tree, the fishermen said that it has been common practice through the years as it provides an ef- ficient way to catch the fish, while also harbouring a type of bug that attracts the fish. Contacted by the newspaper on the issue regarding the de- creasing number of palm trees on the island, Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries, Clint Camilleri, said that no type of control in terms of distribution was enacted in previous years. "Following discussions with the two fishermen co-opera- tives, the Parliamentary Secre- tariat through the Departments of Agriculture and Fisheries will be assisting the fishermen by centralising and coordinat- ing the distribution of such palm leaves," he said. "The palm leaves being dis- tributed will be pruned from public spaces after being prop- erly examined for the red palm weevil symptoms." Camilleri also said that the re- cent shortage of palm trees was caused by the destruction of thousands of trees by the wee- vil itself. "The Parliamentary Secre- tariat is analysing possible initiatives whereby a number of palm trees will be planted, earmarked to be distributed to fishermen in a controlled and safe way," Camilleri said when asked about whether the gov- ernment is looking for a long- term plan. Illegalities in proper palm pruning threaten Malta's beloved 'lampuka' Fishermen contacted by the newspaper claim that the lack of proper enforcement coupled with the diminishing number of palm trees, threaten one of the island's most famous fishing practices REOPENING a trapping season for Golden Plover and Song Thrush would mean the government was taking trap- pers for a ride, while risking another EU court cast against Malta, Birdlife said yesterday. The eNGO was reacting to a recom- mendation by the Ornis Committee, to allow trapping of the two birds, through a derogation from the EU Birds Direc- tive, for the upcoming autumn season. Birdlife, which is represented on the Ornis Committee, was the only organi- sation to vote against the derogation in a meeting held on the 25 of July. It said that during the meeting it re- minded representatives from other or- ganisations about the implications such a derogation might have, adding that this was already subject to infringement proceedings. Birdlife said that the Wild Birds Regu- lation Unit (WBRU) also briefed the Ornis Committee about the Attorney General's opinion, which it said had identified various risks in opening a trapping season this year following the European Court of Justice's (ECJ) judge- ment, which found Malta not to have fulfilled its obligations under EU law. In its judgment, the ECJ noted that the use of clap nets resulted in the trapping of a larger number of birds as well as birds that were it was not legal to catch. Birdlife said that while the Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FKNK) had recommended the use of a larger mesh size for the Golden Plover and the Song Thrush, this did not eliminate the unselective methodology, since other protected birds of the same or larger size could still be caught. It said the FKNK had also recommend- ed more enforcement, but Birdlife had pointed out that Ornis Committee had not yet contacted the Police Force or any other relevant enforcement authorities over how such enforcement needs could be met. Furthermore, it said the FKNK's insist- ence that all licensed trappers – includ- ing those that up until last year were in- terested only in the trapping of finches – would be allowed to trap, was of con- cern. "This will simply be a smokescreen for trappers to trap finches illegally." Birdlife Malta has said that it will keep on insisting with the government and the European Commission to revoke the decision of opening a trapping season in October, stressing that the ECJ judg- ment and the AG's opinion on the issue, reinforced its position. Birdlife warns of legal and environmental ramifications of reopening trapping season Government workers pruning palm leaves for distribution to local fishermen