Hunters insist police 'accompany' bird watchers

Referring to reports made by BirdLife Malta relating to the shooting of protected birds of prey and the alleged attacks on members of BLM’s Spring Watch Team, St Hubert Hunters (KSU) reiterated their call for the police to accompany the bird watchers or teams from the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS).

“We reiterate our offer to pay for such police presence,” the association said.

In its statement, KSU said that it had been instrumental in proposing measures to strictly control hunters – including the increase in ALE manpower, the appointing of marshals, a real time recording system and an easily recognisable means to registered hunter identification.

But KSU also claimed that BLM’s ‘allegations’ – which “lack official confirmation” – are directed “solely to undermine police efforts at enforcement.”

“These much publicised reports which are pure speculation, ultimately jeopardize the 'strict supervision' test required as part of the spring hunting derogation,” it said.

“We are aware of our obligations towards ensuring strict control of derogation and have - through the fees collected from our spring hunting license - contributed €280,500 towards better enforcement.”

But what KSU describes as “pure speculation”, BLM yesterday reported that one of the protected birds of prey shot down was retrieved by ALE officers.

In the statement, BLM had also said they will be filing a report of their findings to the European Commission to oversee the spring hunting derogation.

“We too are third parties that will be reporting our observations,” KSU said. “Unlike BLM’s, all our actions are reflected in the results of a substantial police presence dedicated to oversee strict observance.”

The hunters association also said it “demands that all reports presented by BLM are either officially denied or witnessed by a police officer paid for through our funds.”

It added that “illegalities are not only related to hunting but could also take the form of fictitious reporting by an organization that has publicly declared to put an end to spring hunting.”

KSU also said it condemns BLM’s “false allegations being generated solely to undermine our legal right to derogation based on totally unverified facts.

“[We] solicit immediate official action to prevent further ridicule of an efficient police force that is performing admirably.”