FKNK calls on hunters to report illegalities

In a press statement, the Federation of Hunting and Conservation (FKNK) condemned the illegal shooting of a White Stork earlier this week and also strongly opposed any "collective punishment" that might occur as a result.

"Should more illegal shooting of protected bird species' incidents be reported and found to have actually occurred ... government may decide to arbitrarily close the hunting season with immediate effect," the statement reads.

"Whilst the FKNK immediately declares that it strongly opposes any sort of collective punishment, especially since such cowardly acts of illegal shooting of protected bird species, are in no way connected to legal sustainable hunting, warns, that its reaction and that of genuine hunters, will ensure that persons who commit such criminal acts will not find refuge anywhere."

The statement also praised the timely intervention of two off-duty officers who caught the culprit in Tuesday's shooting redhanded and who was then arraigned in court.

The FKNK is also launching an official deterrent campaign and is encouraging its members to immediately report any similar illegal act that they may observe to the FKNK on 99474503.

"Despite being aware that such reports already take place in a discreet manner, there is now no further avenue to take, except that this is done officially in order that the remaining handful of lawbreakers, whose illegal actions are causing so much harm to Maltese and Gozitan hunters and to Malta, are eradicated for good."