FKNK says new rules discriminate against hunters without mobiles

Addressing a press conference at the FKNK’s offices in Msida this afternoon, secretary general Lino Farrugia enumerated a long list of grievances over the new regulations, which he claimed discriminate against different categories of hunters and trappers at various levels.

Among the most contentious aspects of the new legislative framework – approved by the Commission following numerous amendments since last October – is the regulation that compels hunters to record their bag-count by means of an SMS.

“We have received calls from some of our more elderly members, who don’t own mobile phones and in some cases aren’t even sure what a mobile phone is,” Farrugia said. “And besides, what about areas where there is no mobile reception? We raised these complaints on our members' behalf, but to no avail.”

Farrugia also requested freephone numbers specifically for hunters. He confirmed that the police have allocated three numbers for the purpose of reporting bag limits, only one of which is freephone.

The hunters are also incensed by what they describe as a number of unreasonable restrictions. “We urge our members to abide by the regulations insofar as possible, but it must be pointed that many of these regulations make no sense and are difficult to abide by in practice.”

Apart from the mobile phone provisos, the FKNK objects to the concept of individual quotas for hunters – arguing that standard practice throughout Europe is for national quotas instead.

The quotas imposed by the new regulations would limit a hunter’s bag-count to one bird per day, for a total of four over the entire season. Farrugia describes this as a ‘cruel’ way to test a hunter.

“When a hunter who has been waiting to go out in spring for three years, and this years goes out every day for a week without firing a single shot, and on the eighth day sees maybe two turtle doves, is it not at all easy for that person to shoot just one, and then put away his shotgun.”

FKNK also argues that this year’s maximum quota is inadequate. “From statistics in our possession it clearly results that the annual local catch (spring and autumn) of, say, turtle dove, reaches an average of 35,000. When you compare this to the catch in some other Mediterranean countries, according to the Commission’s management plan for turtle dove, the number of specimens shot in the autumn season alone amounts to 8,000,000.”

Reminding hunters that they been promised a spring hunting season without any conditions, Farrugia conceded that this year’s season, despite its limitations, remains an improvement over no season at all.

“This is a test. But at the same time it’s the first step that, if we use it wisely, can give rise to a second and then a third. If this season reflects the seriousness and maturity of the hunters of Malta and Gozo, then FKNK will have more strength to continue negotiating to improve some of these conditions under this derogation.”

Farrugia also hinted that additional derogations may be obtainable in future. Among the derogations the FKNK intends to press for in future is one for trapping of seven species of finches – also promised to trappers before EU membership in 2004.