Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1477424
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 28 AUGUST 2022 OPINION 11 Katerina Younes Open letter to animal welfare secretary gangs'. For to be fair to those policemen I've just lampooned myself… I don't actually blame them for 'running away at the first sight of danger', you know. For one thing, the Police Force is woefully understaffed – and ill-equipped – to handle any serious disruption of the public peace (and whose fault is that, I wonder… if not the government that is responsible for meeting the police's opera- tional needs?) And besides: 'beefing up the Police Force' – and especially, increasing its physical pres- ence on our streets – requires a heck of a lot of investment, in human and non-human re- sources alike. But how much investment does it take to, say, 'draw up a set of traffic regula- tions applicable to E-scooters'? (And while I'm at it: to provide a space for them to actually be parked… ideally, without blocking people's garages, or getting in the way of wheel- chair bound pedestrians?) Or to enforce existing laws on hunting? Or to clamp down on building irregularities? Or to… Again, however, I'll stop there for now: because the list of things that Robert Abela's government SHOULD be do- ing (but very clearly isn't), to prevent our country from de- generating into the 'law of the jungle'… it is, quite literally, never-ending. Ah, but then a bunch of 'pesky foreigners' cause a little trouble, on the main street of Hamrun? THAT, of course, is what finally triggers our Prime Minister into taking a little long-overdue ac- tion, against this country's pre- vailing (and age-old) culture of 'lawlessness'… All of which, naturally, brings us to the focal point of our sa- tirical masterpiece: Robert Abela himself, in full 'Tarzan' regalia (i.e., wearing nothing but a leopard-skin loin-cloth, and maybe a dagger clenched between his teeth), swinging in on a llana to 'save the day'… … and in the time-honoured 'Tarzan' fashion, too! (That is to say: by teaching those 'prim- itive savages' a thing or two, about who's REALLY the 'Jun- gle-King' around here…) As for Robert of the Jungle's speech-bubble: well, it's right there in the headline. "No one will be allowed to turn our streets into a jungle, because… … because… … erm… …because actually, I've al- ready done a pretty good job of that myself!" DEAR Hon Bugeja Said, Animal Liberation Malta has recently brought to light the unfortunate fact that three dolphins died in what might be construed as a cover up by Mediterraneo Park administration. We hope that the investigation being conducted by Ms Alison Bezzina the Commissioner of Animal Welfare will shed some light into this matter and help us understand how the Veterinary Regula- tions Directorate (which falls under your Minis- try) made their investigations and the outcomes. This case is also being actively supported in- ternationally by organisations concerned with dolphin welfare – UK based NGO Marine Con- nection and also followed by US based Dolphin Project. Malta has long banned animal circuses which back then was clearly a progressive move in fa- vour of animals. However, Mediterraneo Park, much to the constant opposition of animal and environmental NGOs, was given a license to op- erate as a zoo! When one looks at the whole op- eration of Mediterraneo Park, including the fact animals that are subjected to training specifically for exhibition at paid public performances, it is abundantly clear in our opinion that this should fall under the category of a circus as outlined in the definition of a circus from Chapter 439 of the Animal Welfare Act, "circus" means any place where animals are introduced for the purpose of performance, manoeuvres and shows or other- wise and shall include any place where animals used in such circuses are kept or trained; By providing Mediterraneo Park a zoo license we believe it is a public institution that is at de- fault of the law. This has been the practice from the previous administration to date, so as to reg- ularise the operation of this circus under that of a zoo. Given that a permit has always been issued, Mediterraneo Park is operating "legally". This "legality" comes thanks to a license that we believe was issued irregularly by the licensing authority under your Ministry. This is why ALM believes the onus of default falls under the licens- ing authority and your Ministry. We hope that the unnecessary delays in the zoos regulations are not being done to amend the law to allow an- imal circus to perform locally. In light of this, Animal Liberation Malta is therefore asking you to immediately intervene and see that the Animal Welfare Act is enforced and adhered to and we are asking you to take the necessary action for the immediate withdrawal of the operating license as a zoo. Such an action would be in line with what the Greek authorities have done whereby the Com- petent Authority of the Region of Attica (Prefec- ture of Attica) revoked the operating license of the marine mammal facility for dolphins at At- tica Zoological Park. In Greece just as in Malta the law prohibits all kinds of animal performanc- es for all animals, including shows in zoological parks. Unlike in Malta in Greece the Ministry of Environment had already confirmed the vi- olation of Law 4039/12, which is their Animal Welfare Law (which is why ERA is in copy in this open letter). Animal Liberation Malta believes that the Mal- tese government should be at the forefront for the safeguard of cetacean welfare and marine life and that their protection should be given prior- ity especially by your secretariat which is also responsible for Animal Welfare and not only fisheries. We believe that Mediterraneo should change into a rehab centre for aquatic species where true conservation can take place. Thus, putting Malta as the unique leading Mediterra- nean rehabilitation centre. The Police Force is woefully understaffed – and ill-equipped – to handle any serious disruption of the public peace (and whose fault is that, I wonder… if not the government that is responsible for meeting the police's operational needs?) Katerina Younes is a member of Animal Liberation Malta