Malta Rangers Group condemn outrageous pledge by Economy Minister to overturn environmental criminal convictions

The Malta Ranger Unit has condemned a surprise pledge by Economy Minister Silvio Schembri, who promised hunters that Labour would review penalties for illegal hunting and allow hunters whose licences had been revoked by the courts to reapply for their licences. Schembri also pledged to review hunting fines, prompting concern that the Labour Party is now openly promising to weaken penalties for environmental crimes. The Malta Ranger Unit described the remarks as being “of grave concern” and disrespectful to lawful hunters, the Police and the Law Courts.

Hunting in Malta is permitted only through derogations under EU law, yet the law is regularly violated as hunters continue to target protected birds during migration. During the last spring hunting season, BirdLife Malta reported at least 14 illegal bird killings, including protected species such as Common Kestrels, Marsh Harriers, European Bee-eaters, Hoopoes, Cuckoos, Little Egrets and Corncrakes.

The 2026 spring hunting season ran from 13 April to 3 May, with quail hunting permitted during the first week and both quail and the vulnerable turtle-dove permitted from 20 April onwards. BirdLife Malta notes that Malta’s spring hunting derogation is already subject to European Commission infringement proceedings, partly because of poor supervision and the impact on species other than those targeted by the derogation.

The Labour Party has built a strong alliance with the hunting lobby, namely with the main hunting federation, FKNK. The government had previously handed public land at Miżieb and Aħrax to the hunting federation before the agreement was challenged and eventually revoked by the courts. The latest pledge by Schembri now goes further, shifting from political accommodation of hunters to direct intervention in penalties imposed over illegal hunting offences by the Courts.

Illegal hunting remains one of Malta’s main environmental problems and one of the country’s most persistent breaches of European conservation standards. Instead of strengthening enforcement and protecting migratory birds, the Labour Party is once again treating the hunting lobby as an electoral constituency to be appeased, even when this means undermining the courts, the police and environmental law.

Maltese Herald

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