Hunters call for revision of government policy on hunting, trapping laws

The Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FKNK) has sent a “detailed critique” of government guidelines on hunting to the OPM, the Opposition and the Ornis Committee, over claims that the government wants to gradually eradicate trapping.

FKNK secretary-general Lino Farrugia said that the government was “completely indifferent to the feelings, expectations and aspirations” of hunters and trappers, and accused the OPM of disregarding the rights of landowners to use their land for trapping.

The Office of the Prime Minister has stood by its decision to turn down the Ornis Committee’s recommendation to open the trapping season in autumn, claiming there was insufficient information and data to derogate from the Birds Directive’s ban on finch-trapping.

Trapping was outlawed in 2008 under the Birds Directive but hunters say the Maltese government can derogate from EU law and allow a limited form of trapping.

The FKNK claims the government wants to divide hunters and trappers by not opening the hunting season for trappers.

“All EU Member States, except Malta, have fixed hunting seasons which, for practical and humanitarian reasons, are determined in advance. It is only the present Maltese government that adopts the puerile tactic of leaving it to the last moment to announce the opening of the hunting and trapping seasons.

“It is only this government that adopts the same tactics when it chose to dismiss the recommendations of its own appointed Ornis Committee, and now ‘recommends’ to that same committee, by way of its policy guidelines, what the committee should ‘recommend’ to it,” Farrugia said.

The FKNK secretary also said the government was being led by its nose by BirdLife, because it had banned afternoon hunting in September when this was not endorsed by the Ornis Committee, the committee on which both the FKNK and BirdLife sit and recommend the hunting dates to the OPM.

“The government simply ignores Ornis, and bows to the demands of BirdLife Malta, and the German-based CABS (Campaign Against Bird Slaughter), both of whom want to usurp the Maltese countryside for their extremist ends.

“This is simply an extension of BirdLife’s ‘reclaim your countryside’ campaign. The imposition of daily bag limits is another unnecessary restriction that is not required by EU legislation,” Farrugia said.

The FKNK said that government’s restrictions on hunting and trapping were not mandated by EU laws. “The FKNK has no option but to do its utmost to put a stop to this Government’s attempt to dismantle the traditional socio-cultural passion of Maltese hunters and trappers.  The FKNK is now constrained to embark on a different course of action. We are determined not to allow any government remove what rightfully and legally belongs to the Maltese hunters and trappers.”