FKNK lambasts BirdLife Malta executive director ‘deceitful’

As hunting and environment lobbying intensifies the closer the 9 March elections get, hunters' federation FKNK and environmental NGO BirdLife Malta continue with their accusations and clarifications.

The FKNK today accused BirdLife Malta executive director Steve Micklewright of "only transmitting incorrect and biased communications" on the local hunting and trapping scene.  

"Maybe he still believes that, we in Malta are still living a century behind the times and that, therefore, anything told to us by persons from the UK is to be taken as Gospel truth," the FKNK said.

The hunters said that Micklewright has now taken Labour leader Joseph Muscat to task over his position on hunting and trapping.

Muscat said that he wanted "Maltese hunters and trappers to be treated like those in other European states" and that "where derogations are applicable, we will apply them".

"Does this therefore mean that Micklewright and his lackeys,expect that Maltese hunters and trappers should be treated less than their European counterpart EU member citizens?  To be treated like second class EU citizens?" the FKNK said.

"Does Mr. Micklewright and BLM's arrogance extend so far as to expect local government to denounce its EU membership-given right to apply derogations as and when necessary, as other Member States including the UK do?"

FKNK said that Micklewright "deceivably and incorrectly" said that hunters in the Maltese Islands can legally shoot 41 bird species during the five-month autumn hunting season, compared with just 18 wild bird species that can be hunted recreationally during the autumn season in the UK.

"Wild bird species, including game birds, only make an appearance over the Maltese islands according to natural migration circumstances and depend very much on the prevailing weather conditions," FKNK rebutted. 

"Such appearances are completely out of the context of any pre-set man-made autumn season since said species are never met throughout the stated five months but only for a few weeks for each species, and in most cases none at all." 

FKNK said that out of the 41 bird species on the legal hunting list, the local current status sees 3 species listed as 'very common'; another 3 as 'common'; 11 as 'fairly common'; 7 as 'scarce'; 6 as 'very scarce'; and 2 as 'vagrants'. 

The other 9 species, added in May 2010 as a result of Romania and Bulgaria's EU Membership are listed as 'alien', because these are not to be found occurring naturally in the wild in the Maltese island.

"Micklewright is both deceitful and incorrect when he 'conveniently' quotes UK figures.  In the UK 22 bird species may be hunted, out of which 16 are migratory.  Furthermore, 7 deer species may also be hunted, besides other game termed as ground-game such as the hare.

"Moreover, an innumerable number of both bird and mammal species may be taken by shooting, destruction of eggs and nests, use of cage-traps and lamping at night," FKNK insisted. 

These species, termed as 'pests' include: collared doves, woodpigeon, starlings, and other as far as bird species, and mink, rabbits and fox, and other as far as mammals are concerned. 

FKNK added that Micklewright also "conveniently" forgot to mention is that for these species there is no open or close season but allowed throughout the year.

"Finally, the Federation for Hunting & Conservation would like to state that it appreciates any administration that is willing to defend Maltese hunters' and trappers' rights within the parameters of the European Union Nature Directives and regulations."