Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/619227
WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT WEDNESDAY EDITION WEDNESDAY • 23 DECEMBER 2015 • ISSUE 448 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY €1.00 Newspaper post MIRIAM DALLI Member of the European Parliament, would like to wish you A Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year www.miriamdalli.com Weaker rules for offences against protected birds BirdLife Malta condemns proposed legal changes that would subject people having protected birds to lower fi nes and legalise possession of protected birds caught outside the EU MARTINA BORG BIRDLIFE yesterday slammed the government for weakening the rules against anyone having pro- tected birds in their possession, seeing a difference in the way the government dealt with environ- mental policies, such as those re- lating to climate change, and pro- tected birds. According to a proposed legal no- tice, fanciers found to be in posses- sion of protected birds will be sub- jected to lower fines, with the legal notice distinguishing between per- sons caught red-handed shooting at a protected bird and others simply found in possession of such a bird. "This is yet another scandalous attempt to weaken the sanctions of those who are responsible to en- force the law," BirdLife Malta chief executive officer Mark Sultana told a press conference. Appealing to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat not to introduce the proposed changes, Sultana said that the proposed legal notice would al- so allow people to be in possession of any non-EU bird, irrespective of its protection status in its country of origin. Sultana argued that this would ef- fectively be an 'amnesty' for people presently breaking the law by be- ing in possession of birds, such as eagles, caught in territories outside of Europe. "This will encourage persons to go on hunting trips in countries such as Argentina and Ethiopia," he said. "People who organise these trips as part of their business, have a lot to benefit from this amendment, making us suspect that they actu- ally lobbied for this change. "Nature protection does not stop where the borders of the European Union end," he added, stressing that birds are a global and universal heritage. "Ironically, when talking about other environmental issues, such as climate change, the government looks at them from a global per- spective. So we ask why should it be any different for birds?" Abducted Maltese hospital manager freed in Tripoli PIERRE Baldacchino, the Mal- tese citizen who was abducted in Libya last week, has been freed: the Libya Herald reported that Baldacchino – the manager of the St James Hospital in Tripoli – was safely freed by the Rada militia group on the outskirts of the Lib- yan capital. Baldacchino, 36, was abducted by unknown kidnappers who had reportedly demanded €5 million in ransom for his release. Special forces raided a den in Ain Zara at around 1:30am. A video posted online shows Bal- dacchino, 36, standing in between two masked Rada militiamen, thanking them for their rescue operation from his kidnappers. "I was kidnapped a week ago on the highway, brought to this place, and kept blindfolded for the whole time until Rada thankfully came and saved me," Baldacchino is quoted saying. "It was a very bad week, I was thinking a lot of things, including about not seeing my children. Everything is ok now though." He then proceeds to show to the camera his clearly bruised wrists and explains that "they tied me up for the whole time with ropes and handcuffs". In a tweet, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat thanked the Libyan au- thorities for working hand in hand with the Maltese security services to free Baldacchino on Monday night, and warned citizens against travelling to the North African country. St James Hospital International said that their manager would now be debriefed in Tripoli by the Libyan security services and possibly return to Malta over the coming days. PAGE 5 PAGE 5 Pierre Baldacchino (centre) was freed from unknown kidnappers by Rada militia BirdLife Malta CEO Mark Sultana (centre) called on the Prime Minister to scrap the legal notice