Qawra Point to be declared no-hunting zone, Environment Minister announces

Updated at 1:30 pm with FKNK statement

The Qawra Point area will be designated as a no-hunting area in the coming weeks, Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia said on Sunday.

Birdlife Malta have also been granted a guardianship deed, which will be signed in the coming weeks, to administer the area. 

On Saturday, four Greater Flamingos were shot down and killed at Qawra Point.

23-year-old Miguel Zammit, who pleaded not guilty, was denied bail by magistrate Elaine Mercieca.

BirdLife Malta said that a bird watcher witnessed a flock of flamingos being shot down at Qawra Point, and called the police on the culprit.

Police said that a unit from the Armed Forces retrieved four flamingo carcasses, three from out at sea and one from land.

On Saturday, Birdlife CEO Mark Sultana said the NGO had been presented with a guardianship deed agreement to take over the area, however this had to be refused until hunting is banned from the area.

“The small islet is very well placed for migratory birds to find refuge on and with its vicinity to BirdLife Malta’s Salina Nature Reserve, birds coming in or out of the reserve have been targeted by hunters in this area,” said BirdLife.

BirdLife Malta CEO Mark Sultana stated that Malta needs to solve the illegal bird killing problem, and that this could be done by designating more bird sanctuaries and restarting the verification process of stuffed bird collections that benefited from past amnesties.

Minister’s actions illegal – FKNK

The hunting lobby group FKNK slammed Farrugia over the announcement, insisting the decision was a collective punishment against all hunders.

“The government once again intends to collectively punish the hunting community because one person allegedly committed an illegality at Qawra Point,” FKNK said in a statement.

It said this was an illegal act, as the minister did not consult with the Ornis Committee as he was “legally obliged to”.

The lobby group said the decision goes against a 2015 announcement by then Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, to refer all decisions on hunting zones to the Ornis Committee, the government’s consultative body on trapping.

“To rub salt in the wounds, he added that BirdLife Malta will be given this zone, the latest zone to be administered by a small group of people,” the statement read.