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Hunters: autumn curfew to stay, ban on finch trapping
FKNK vow to oppose ‘gold-plating’ such as autumn curfew.
15 July 2013, 12:00am
Staff Reporter
Staff Reporter
1 min read
Illegal trapping at l-Ahrax, in Mellieha (file photo)
Hunters' federation FKNK said it had been outvoted on the Ornis Committee in its bid to overcome a September afternoon hunting 'curfew', imposed by government for the past five years.
The curfew will stay on with revised timings throughout the autumn season.
"Government's decision could be intent on pleasing BirdLife Malta even more if their request to extend such curfew to October is accepted. The meeting outvoted a further proposal for 'collective punishment' should the recommended 'curfew' be somehow violated," FKNK secretary-general Lino Farrugia said.
The last Ornis meeting also voted in support of having fixed open hunting seasons as from this autumn.
The FKNK said it was under the impression that live-finch capturing for this autumn was not a likely possibility, claiming government feared it was not adequately prepared to apply the relative derogation in time.
"The FKNK has already supplied the government with adequate proposals and tools for the correct application of derogations to permit the Maltese traditional socio-cultural recreations of live-bird capturing in autumn and winter.
"We will continue to work constructively in order that any further 'gold-plating' such as the autumn curfew will not reoccur and also to work incessantly such that live-finch capturing will have a correct derogation applied in the spirit of and in line with the Labour working group discussions since 2010 and the joint media release of both parties dated the 4th March 2013," Farrugia said.
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@file photo
There is one of the same illegal trapping room in the limit of Ghar Lapsi going upthe road.
It's been there for these last 20 years.
As far as I know it is situated on gov. public land since there is a short distance from the sea waters.
I use to go there for a picnic with my kids today all thirties on Sundays, when this owner and his friends started shouting at us with a vulgar language.
Thanks.
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With the government holding a indirect majority of votes in ORNIS, this is a good sign that the shadow of a referendum on spring hunting in having its effect. It is very obvious that this administration has decided to thread carefully before giving in any more concessions to the hunting lobby. But lets get things in perspective. This simply means that things have not gotten any worse but it does not mean that matters regarding environment protection and the spring hunting issue are resolved.
