PL and PN pandering to hunting lobby: Malta urgently needs new political voices in Parliament
Momentum has strongly criticised the Labour Party and the Nationalis Party’s continued pandering to the hunting and trapping lobby in the last days of the campaign.
The recent statements by Minister Silvio Schembri suggesting that penalties imposed on hunters who illegally kill protected birds could be revoked is particularly shocking.
Momentum stated that such declarations send a dangerous message that environmental laws are optional for politically influential groups. “When a government minister openly promises to erase penalties for people who have broken the law and destroyed protected wildlife, it undermines the rule of law and weakens the credibility of Malta’s environmental protections,” the party said.
Momentum Leader Arnold Cassola, candidate on the 9th and 10th districts added that Malta has long suffered from a culture where both major parties place electoral calculations above the protection of nature and biodiversity. He noted that illegal hunting and trapping continue to damage Malta’s international reputation and threaten species that are protected across Europe.
Cassola also criticised the Nationalist Party for similarly pandering to the hunting lobby through comments made by prominent candidates and officials. Momentum specifically refers to statements made yesterday by PN leader Alex Borg, who assured a crowd in Gozo that hunting and trapping would be “safeguarded” under a PN government.
“Both the PL and the PN continue to treat environmental protection as secondary whenever they believe that pandering to powerful lobbies can deliver electoral advantage,” Cassola said. “Instead of defending biodiversity and the rule of law, they compete with each other to appease those who believe they should be above environmental regulations.”
Momentum stressed that environmental protection and care for creation should not be treated as secondary issues or sacrificed for short-term political convenience. “The destruction of nature affects everyone — families, communities, future generations and Malta’s quality of life. Protecting biodiversity is not extremism; it is a responsibility.”
Cassola concluded by stating that the election of a third party to Parliament is now the only realistic way to ensure that environmental protection, sustainability and genuine care for creation are placed at the centre of national decision-making.
“For decades, both the PL and PN have taken turns appeasing powerful interests while the environment continues to deteriorate. Malta urgently needs new political voices in Parliament that are willing to defend the public interest, uphold environmental laws and protect the country’s natural heritage without fear or favour.”
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