Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1232859
7 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 8 APRIL 2020 NEWS Spring hunting Over 6,000 hunters will storm countryside, with 42 officers monitoring JAMES DEBONO A totawl of 6,148 hunters will be eligible to hunt during the spring in Malta be- tween 10-30 April, despite an EU ban on hunting during this season. These comprise 5,113 hunters in Malta and 1,035 in Gozo, official Ornis Com- mittee data given to BirdLife shows. EU rules specify that seven police of- ficers are required for every 1,000 hunt- ers to enforce hunting rules. This means that around 42 officers will be required to supervise hunting irregularities. 1,247 hunters of the 7,395 eligible hunters in Malta will not be able to go hunting because they are over 65 years of age. This means a reduction of seven in the number of police officers normally re- quired. BirdLife CEO Mark Sultana expressed concern on the quality of enforcement, in view of present COVID-19 concerns, with experienced officers of the Ad- ministrative Law Enforcement unit be- ing currently engaged in enforcing the quarantine of infected individuals. "It is not just a matter of numbers but mostly a matter of experience, of know- ing the hotspots, of identifying birds, of being able to respond to reports and handling the situation." BirdLife is already concerned by the fact that regular annual training session for ALE officers by the Wild Birds Reg- ulation Unit have not taken place. "At least these officers have experi- ence and have been trained in the past," Sultana said. Even the Police Officers Union (POU) has expressed its disapproval of the opening of the quail hunting season this year, as it fears that this will put an un- necessary burden on the police force. The union, which forms part of the General Workers' Union (GWU), ex- plained that some members of the Po- lice Force are currently tasked with in- spections and the enforcement of the preventive measures put into place be- cause of COVID-19. One solution currently being consid- ered to relieve pressure on the police force is to deploy the army. But this solution leaves Sultana perplexed as su- pervising hunting requires training. Moreover the army should be on stand-by to be ready for emergen- cies as happened on Sunday when it was called to supervise the quarantine of 1,000 residents in the Hal Far open cen- tre. "What will happen if we open the sea- son and a national health emergency requiring the intervention of the army happens on the second day?" Normally enforcement during the year is done by 25 ALE officers, assisted by police recruited from district officers. In Gozo, the responsibility falls exclu- sively on local policeman following a decision that had been taken by for- mer Gozo minister Giovanna Debono, and subsequently confirmed by differ- ent administrations. The problem in Gozo is compound- ed by Maltese hunters who own farm- steads in Gozo, who migrate there dur- ing the season. It is unclear whether these hunters will be allowed to do so in view of restric- tions on travel between the two islands. BirdLife is still committed to supervise the hunting season by having groups of less than three people supervising hunt- ing hotspots. But the organisation fears a logistical nightmare and widespread illegalities amidst a breakdown in enforcement, as the country struggles with unpredicta- ble COVID-19 emergencies. Malta Gozo Total Registered hunters 6,195 1,200 7,395 Over-65 1,082 165 1,247 Total left 5,113 1,035 6,148