Chapter 323 – Filfla Nature Reserve Act
What is this act about?
This law establishes the Filfla Nature Reserve and protects its natural environment. It prohibits activities that harm the island's plants and animals, and controls access to the reserve.
Who it applies to: Anyone who might want to kill, capture, collect, or otherwise disturb the flora and fauna on Filfla; Anyone who wishes to access the Filfla Nature Reserve.
At a glance
- Country
- Malta
- Area of law
- Environment and agriculture
- Source
- legislation.mt
- Text retrieved
- Explanation updated
What does this act regulate?
- The establishment of the Filfla Nature Reserve.
- The protection of all plants and animals on Filfla, whether resident or migratory.
- Prohibited activities concerning the flora and fauna within the reserve.
- Conditions for accessing the Filfla Nature Reserve.
Who does this act apply to?
- Anyone who might want to kill, capture, collect, or otherwise disturb the flora and fauna on Filfla.
- Anyone who wishes to access the Filfla Nature Reserve.
What are the key points?
- The entire surface area of the Island of Filfla is a protected nature reserve.
- Killing, capturing, collecting, trapping, keeping in captivity, taxidermy, commercial exploitation, picking, and hunting of any flora and fauna in or from the reserve are prohibited.
- Access to the reserve is only by permission from the Minister for educational and scientific purposes.
- Members of the Police and Armed Forces of Malta have access for defence, security, rescue, smuggling control, and crime investigation.
- Violations can lead to imprisonment up to three months or a fine up to €1,164.69, or both.
Environment and agriculture
Legal text
Legal text
FILFLA NATURE RESERVE
CHAPTER 323
FILFLA NATURE RESERVE ACT To provide for the establishment of the Filfla Natural Reserve. (1st June, 1988)* ACT XV of 1988, as amended by Legal Notice 424 of 2007. l.
The short title of this is the Filfla Nature Reserve Act.
Short title.
2.
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires - Interpretation. "flora and fauna" are to be construed as meaning all plants and animals, resident or migratory, species of which exist in the wild state on the Island of Filfla; "Minister" means the Minister responsible for the environment.
3.
All the surface area of the Island of Filfla shall be a protected nature reserve.
Establishing Filfla as a nature reserve.
4.
The killing, capture, collection, trapping, maintaining in captivity, taxidermy, commercial exploitation, as well as picking and hunting of any species of flora and fauna in or from the Filfla nature reserve is prohibited:
Prohibition of killing, etc., of flora and fauna from nature reserve.
Provided that the Minister may remove such prohibition for the purpose of scientific study in particular cases.
Access to nature reserve.
6.
Any person who contrarticleavenes any of the provisions of this Act or any condition of a permission granted under the last preceding article, shall be liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or to a fine (multa) not exceeding one thousand and one hundred and sixty-four euro and sixty-nine cents (€1,164.69) or to both such imprisonment and fine. *See article 1(2) of the Act as originally enacted, which subarticle has been omitted under the Statute Law Revision Act, 1980.
Offences and penalties.
Amended by:
L.N. 424 of 2007.