Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1528773
3 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 1 NOVEMBER 2024 NEWS GozoToday is a weekly newspaper focused primarily on Gozo. It hopes to serve as a source of information on business, culture, entertainment and of course current affairs. Gozo has a special charm about it but it is also a bustling Island with an identity of its own. We will strive to bring you the news over the next three months. GozoToday is published every Friday and is available to numerous outlets in Gozo and on the ferries that carry so many visitors to Gozo from Malta and beyond. GozoToday MediaToday Co. Ltd Vjal ir-Rihan San Gwann SGN 9016 EDITOR: PAUL COCKS Tel: (356) 21 382741-3, 21 382745-6 Website: www.maltatoday.com.mt E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The Black Stork (Ciconia ni- gra) is a rare visitor to Malta. It is a protected species under Maltese law, afforded the high- est protection under Annex 1 of the EU Birds Directive and An- nex A of the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations. "Illegal hunting of these spe- cies continues due to high demand resulting from two amnesties on taxidermy bird collections granted in the past, which remain largely unveri- fied to this day," BLM's Head of Conservation, Nick Barbara, said. In 1997, the then Labour Government granted the first amnesty, with hunters declar- ing close to 240,000 taxidermy birds. In 2003, the then Nationalist Government granted another amnesty, with hunters declaring an additional 282,000 taxider- my birds. This brings the total to over half a million taxidermy birds. The Maltese authorities began a verification process, but it was never completed. As a result, it has never been confirmed if hunters possess the taxidermy birds they declared in these two amnesty lists. Consequently, BLM claimed, some hunters claimed to have certain bird species in their col- lections that they did not actu- ally have, becoming practically a wish-list of birds before their lists were verified. This allowed illegal hunting of protected birds to continue, with this be- ing reignited once more with recent permissions allowing hunters to transfer such wish- lists between them. The environmental police force is vastly outnumbered by around 10,000 hunters and fac- es significant challenges operat- ing in Gozo. Furthermore, entities such as the Wild Birds Regulation Unit (WBRU) and the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) are severely limited in resourc- es, preventing effective verifica- tion and monitoring of taxider- my bird collections. "Our appeals to Prime Minis- ter Dr Robert Abela to take the illegal killing of birds seriously have never been given due im- portance. This reflects a clear choice by Dr Abela and his Cab- inet," BLM CEO Mark Sultana said. "The Cabinet is insensitive to these incidents and uncon- cerned about the Maltese citi- zens who are deprived of enjoy- ing nature's beauty, as hunters threaten the government with their votes. The government's silence on the ongoing illegal bird killings is shameful. This situation reflects poorly on the quality of life in our country." Second black stork shot near Prime Minister's official summer residence A Black Stork was shot in Girgenti