Hunters’ lobby hit out at BirdLife’s representative on Ornis

Hunters' lobby FKNK (Federazzjoni Kaccaturi Nassaba u Konservazzjonisti) issued a scathing assessment of MaltaToday managing editor Saviour Balzan, who is now representing conservationists BirdLife Malta as vice-president and their representative in the Ornis Committee.

Ornis is the consultative body responsible to recommend regulations and the dates for the hunting season to the environment minister, and includes both BirdLife and FKNK representatives.

FKNK chief executive Lino Farrugia accused Balzan of "lacking integrity and credibility" and that his appointment on the Ornis Committee was untenable.

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"He has often manifestly demonstrated his hatred and abolitionist intentions towards hunting and trapping. Is it therefore, possibly legal, that someone can occupy such controversial positions and publicly uphold these abolitionist beliefs to such an extremist degree, and furthermore be appointed by government to serve on one of its governing bodies?" Farrugia asked.

Farrugia called into question Balzan's role during the 2002-2003 negotiations for EU accession, in which Balzan was given the brief to secure an acceptable package on hunting:

"Balzan was given a clear brief by government to secure a package that should have ensured the continuation of the socio-cultural traditional passions of hunting and trapping on the Maltese islands. A brief he evidently betrayed. A betrayal he later boasted about and which mission must have cost the Maltese taxpayer hundreds of thousands of euros."

Hunting in spring and trapping are illegal in the EU, according to the Birds Directives, and derogation from the law can only be applied under strict conditions.

Malta has derogated from the Birds Directive ever since becoming an EU member in 2004, but a case brought by the European Commission in the European Court of Justice did not manage to bring an end to spring hunting.

MaltaToday is supporting a nationwide campaign to abolish spring hunting by the Coalition Against Spring Hunting, which has now collected in excess of 35,000 signatures to demand an abrogative referendum.

Coalition Against Spring Hunting Referendum Petition Sheet English by maltatoday