Irish bird ringer has licence suspended over involvement in Maltese finch trapping

An Irish bird ringer has had his license suspended by the British Trust for Ornithology after complaints that he would be participating in finch-trapping activities in Malta. 

In a statement on Monday, the BTO said that the Irishman, who holds a BTO-issued ringing permit, is not currently ringing finches in Malta after BirdLife Malta, the coordinators of the national ringing scheme, did not grant him rings. 

The Federazzjoni Kaċċaturi Nassaba Konservazzjonisti (FKNK) had earlier accused BirdLife Malta of refusing to cooperate with the researcher conducting bird-ringing studies in Malta. 

"We have genuine concerns that, because the individual in question holds a ringing permit issued by the BTO's Licensing Team, third parties may make the incorrect assumption that the fieldwork that this individual is undertaking is associated with, and therefore supported by, BTO," the organisation said. "We therefore consider that the actions of this ringer pose a significant reputational risk to BTO and the delivery of our scientific and charitable work."

The BTO also made reference to the European Court of Justice decree that ruled Malta's derogation from the ban on bird trapping as illegal. Despite the ruling, government reopened the finch trapping season one month later.

In addition, BTO said it will issue a statement outlining why the current trapping of finches in Malta, allegedly for scientific purposes, is not an appropriate activity. "We will inform all holders of a BTO ringing permit that any individual involved in similar projects in future, where the lack of a legal basis has the potential to cause reputational risk, may find themselves facing sanction," the organisation said.