Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1351534
5 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 17 MARCH 2021 NEWS MATTHEW VELLA A coalition of international sex worker unions and the gay rights organisations have come out in sup- port of the decriminalisation of sex work in Malta, despite universal opposition by social work char- ities, women's groups and anti-trafficking stake- holders. The Maltese government's attempts to decrim- inalise sex work have been met with opposition by NGOs who claim the proposals do not address trafficking of women or provide a strong exit pro- gramme for women forced into prostitution. But the government is now being buttressed by the International Committee of Rights of Sex Workers in Europe, a coalition that includes ILGA Europe, La Strada International, and the Europe- an NGO Platform Against Human Trafficking, amongst others. "With this statement, our organizations wish to express our support to the Maltese government in its effort to develop a law reform that would ensure that the rights of sex workers are protected. Our organisations, after careful consideration, consul- tation and research wholeheartedly support the decriminalisation of sex work," the organisations said. "Globally sex workers and their organisations are demanding decriminalisation, the right to self-de- termination and self-organisation. Our organisa- tions support the principles that laws and policies which impact marginalised communities should be developed with the meaningful involvement of those communities, ensuring their views are heard and their demands included." Malta is already recognised globally as a leading country in the protection of LGBTI people. The organisations said that policies that crim- inalise sex workers, migrants and their work or organisations supporting them, lead to more, not less, violence and exploitation. "These types of re- pressive environments consistently undermine ac- cess to services, decent work and justice, and lead to increased human rights violations." The organisations also said the criminalisation of clients, known as Swedish Model, on sex work- ers in countries such as Sweden, Norway, France, Ireland and Northern Ireland was a pathway to precocity, violence and infectious diseases for sex workers. "Meanwhile, in countries and states where sex work is decriminalised, sex workers' report greater acces to legal protection. Their ability to exercise other key rights, including to justice and health care has improved. Decriminalisation of sex work- ers and their occupation contributes significantly to their protection, dignity, and equality. "The evidence is clear: only decriminalisation of sex work will protect the well being and dignity of sex workers." The joint statement was signed by ILGA Europe, Transgender Europe, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex Youth & Student Organisation, the Platform for Intrnational Cooperation on Undocumented Mi- grants, La Strada International, European NGO platform against human trafficking, European AIDS Treament Group and the International Committee on the Rights of Sex Workers in Eu- rope. Malta prostitution reform gains support of European sex workers union MATTHEW VELLA MALTA'S hunting lobby FKNK has protested against an attempt by the smaller lobby group St Hubert Hunters (KSU) to obtain permits for 12 bird trappers for a research project. The FKNK said the KSU's pro- ject is led by Dr Natalino Fenech, the one-time PBS head of news, which project requires 12 trap- pers for its research purposes. But the lobby claims it had long resisted the project because it benefits just 12 "privileged" trap- pers chosen by Fenech and the KSU. The FKNK said the project also has the backing of the Wild Birds Regulations Unit (WBRU), and will be presented to the Ornis Committee, which issues recom- mendations to the environment minister on matters of hunting and trapping. "FKNK sees this project as noth- ing but unacceptable discrimina- tion. Either everyone is allowed to trap birds, or nobody at all!" FKNK president Joe Perici Calas- cione said. Malta is banned from trapping birds by EU law and its power to derogate from the ban has been severely curtailed by the Europe- an Commission, despite previous attempts to skirt around the pro- hibition. However, the FKNK's propos- als to the Ornis Committee for this year's spring season also in- clude a "research project" for the shooting of turtle dove and quail, despite the EU's ban on spring hunting and Malta's repeated breach of conditions when dero- gating from the ban. The FKNK wants a quail season from 10-30 April, and turtle dove from 17-30 April, with nation- al bag limits of 5,000 quails and 3,500 turtle doves. The FKNK wants the govern- ment to lift the ban on spring hunting, insisting Malta's turtle dove spring harvest has, over a considerable number of recent years, "had a nil effect impact on the European populations of turtle doves in Malta's reference population countries." The FKNK said the moratorium on turtle dove spring hunting in force since 2017 was conditioned to be lifted once "the sustaina- bility of Malta's tradition can be objectively and scientifically as- certained." The lobby wants to proceed with a captive-breeding project for turtle dove at the government Għammieri farms. And FKNK also wants a trap- ping season for turtle doves from 17 to 30 April 2021 with a 3,500 bag limit for both hunted and live-captured turtle doves, for the collection of wild species to the FKNK captive-breeding projects. Hunting lobby protests St Hubert trapping project for 12 'privileged' members