BirdLife wants ban on presence of minors during hunting

BirdLife Malta wants government to prohibit hunters from being accompanied by minors while hunting.

In a letter to the Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri, Justice Minister Edward Zammit Lewis, Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà and Commissioner for Children Pauline Miceli, the environmental NGO said that such legislation would help to avoid incidents.

The request comes after a hunter was filmed by BirdLife hunting with a child in Miżieb on the last day of this year’s spring hunting season.

The organization denounced the man’s actions as a “criminal act.”

BirdLife did not name the man in the photograph, but said he is a close relative of a high-ranking Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FKNK) official, who last year was also filmed by a BirdLife Malta team from Miżieb, with a child handling and firing a shotgun in a case that is still awaiting trial.

Video footage of the incident was also issued by BirdLife earlier on Monday.

The environmental organisation said any changes to the law prohibiting anyone carrying a shotgun to be accompanied by children can be included in the Arms Act.

“I believe it is high time the law clearly prohibits hunters having any children under 18 with them. No one can deny this is the right thing to do and send a disciplined message,” BirdLife CEO Mark Sultana said.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, Miceli said teaching children to handle guns and shooting is not only illegal, but also abusive.

“It is far from good role modelling and irresponsible of a parent to do so,” she said. “As Commissioner for Children I strongly condemn such behaviour and abuse.”