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Hunters’ lobby condemn illegal shooting of protected birds
FKNK says illegal shooting of protected bird species is ‘absolutely unacceptable’.
The Federation for Hunting and Conservation has said it will strive to “eradicate criminals once and for all” from the Maltese countryside in a statement condemning the illegal shooting of protected bird species.
The FKNK said it had received “certain reports of illegal shooting of protected species” and that it had proceeded to file immediate official reports with the police.
It referred to a report at 9:30pm yesterday of a shooting of a marsh harrier in Burmarrad, and another at 10am this morning of the shooting of grey heron in the tal-Fagħta area in Kalkara.
FKNK secretary Lino Farrugia said today, in advance of a press conference tomorrow by BirdLife Malta, that the federation will “not allow any criminal who persists in shooting on protected bird species to mar, in any manner, the efforts of genuine hunters.”
The FKNK, for whom the bag limits of the next spring season will depend on the SMS-texted declarations by licensed hunters this year, said it will cancel memberships of those found guilty by the court of illegal shooting on protected species.
“Anyone who is not in possession of a membership with a hunting and trapping organisation cannot obtain a hunting and trapping licence, and consequently the FKNK hopes that if it cancels the membership of any person found guilty of illegal shooting of protected species, no other hunting organisation will accept such person in its fold as was the case in previous instances when the FKNK had membership of certain persons cancelled for similar reasons.”
The FKNK said it was appealing to the government fofr a solution to address such cases.
“Yesterday’s and today’s incidents are another clear confirmation that the legal practice of hunting, consequently the presence of genuine hunters in the Maltese countryside, is the best prevention to illegal shooting of protected species,” Farrugia said.
“The same serious hunters and trappers, in their absolute majority, will not allow anyone to take away from them, that, from which they had unjustly been deprived, now that they have tasted it again in a manner on which they can build for the future.”
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Ara fiex gabuh lis Sur Lino biex jaqbad semplici summiena.
Proset Dr. Gonzi gibthom fejn ridt. Jalla naslu f'dak l-istat fejn ma jkun hemm l-ebda kaccatur kriminali jew serju jigri fil-kampanja bis-senter f'idu.
Forsi l-ghasafar ikunu hielsa qabel il-Maltin f'Malta!!!!!
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Hey Lino, talk is easy, talk is cheap. How about DOING something.
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We have been around for over half a century now and I think everybody and his sister knows that illegal hunting was rampant , at least up to a few years ago. Is there anybody out there who has not witnessed indiscriminate shooting of protected birds over a period or other? If you deny this it is like saying that all motorists in Malta drive carefully , for example !? I am sure that honest hunters would not have anything to do with these so called 'hunters' and they are messing things up when they break the law. The pity is that whenever the hunters are put to the test , they always fail miserably...to the detriment of the true hunting fraternity. I think the Hunters Association should do more and punish these members, if members they are, not by issuing statements only, which is no news at all, we can all see and hear with our eyes and ears what goes on during the hunting seasons...but by taking drastic action against them. Please also take note of the fact that the majority of the population does not hunt birds and we all have the right to enjoy seeing and hearing birdlife.
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I fully agree with what FKNK have done .Illegal hunting is illegal and should face consequences.
But what about the written promises sent to all the hunters before the general elections by EFA.
Can somebody comment on this promise please
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Thorny,
It is idiots like you,who are creating friction between those interested to find the point of balance on this issue.
When I say those interested,it includes Birdlife Malta,Nature Trust and those genuine hunters that abide by the laws,rapresented by their organisations.
You made a big mistake when you said that there are no genuine hunters,and put all hunters in the same bag,something that you know that's not true.
The fact that there are some criminals around us,does that make all the maltese people criminals? Because if that is what you are saying,it means that you are not only stupid but a criminal too.
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Not a bad press release but how pathetic. Not very original but not a bad tactic either. Mr. Farrugia, is the next press release in preparation endorsing KSU's proposal to police BL.
By the way, is the Bird shooting going on in numerous places on Good Friday also a fabrication?
When everything fails it is so typical of FKNK passing the buck to the government.
Luke Camilleri •
They are not criminals, but terrorists of nature! Malteseso called Hunters just cannot be trusted to abide by any laws! This has been proved over and over again!
Who are the genuine hunters?
