FKNK defence of poachers ‘indefensible’ – BirdLife Malta

BirdLife Malta published satellite images taken from Google Earth showing the outline of the Ghadira Nature Reserve protected zone and the location within this of the two hunters photographed by BirdLife Malta wardens on 25 April, after the FKNK claimed yesterday that the two men were not inside the protected area.

Commenting on the FKNK's defence of the two men, BirdLife's Conservation Manager Nicholas Barbara said: "The priority of the FKNK Council appears not to be to stop illegal hunting, but rather to act as apologists for those hunters who commit abuses. This case is just the latest example of a tactic of denial that the FKNK have employed consistently over a number of years."

"The photographs were taken from the visitor centre inside Għadira Nature Reserve and clearly show the two men between the electricity pylon and Mellieha Holiday Center hunting illegally in an area where hunting is banned."

This incident again took place at 1pm, during the poilce's Administrative Law Enforcement unit shift change, suggesting that the men knew exactly what they were doing and that there would be no enforcement officers patrolling the area.

BirdLife said that this incident again raises questions about the hunting association's claims of zero-tolerance towards illegal hunting.

"Instead of seeking to undermine cases against people caught poaching, and misleading the media and the public, the FKNK should be condemning illegal hunting and making public its records of all the positive action it is taking to stem illegal hunting by reporting incidents to the police and taking disciplinary measures against its members who are caught hunting illegally," Barbara said.

BirdLife Malta reminded all members of the public, that any illegalities are to be reported to the police, especially when such reports can be corroborated with photographic or video evidence.

The Għadira Bird Sanctuary extends from Għadira Bay in the east to the desalination plant in the west and up the hill towards the St Agatha's Tower, and forms a protective no-hunting zone around the Nature Reserve, which is an internationally important wetland containing some of Malta last remaining salt-marsh habitat.

The boundaries and locations of all Malta's Bird Sanctuaries are published in the *Conservation of Wild Birds Regulations , which are available publicly on the Malta Justice Services website and with which, as the legislation governing hunting, all hunters in Malta and Gozo should be familiar.