Head of anti-bird poaching unit is also a trapper

The new head of the government’s anti-bird poaching unit is himself a bird trapper.

Richard Lia was appointed head of the Wild Birds Regulation Unit, Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri, who is also a bird trapper, confirmed to Times of Malta. 

Mr Lia had previously served as acting head following the resignation of Sergei Golovkin back in 2018. 

Sources said Mr Lia had applied for a bird trapping licence while already employed at the WBRU.   

Conservationists contacted by Times of Malta pointed out that this was a departure from the practice of having either policy, or environmental protection experts in charge of such units.  

“This just goes to show that the first priority will be the interests of hunters and not wildlife protection,” said Birdlife chief executive Mark Sultana, who added that the move was “disheartening”.   

The WBRU was set up two months after the Labour Party was voted into power back in 2013 on the promise that the government would work to ensure the sustainability of local hunting and trapping.  

It hit the headlines last month after Prime Minister Robert Abela announced his decision to move the unit from the Environment Ministry to the Gozo Ministry.