Hunting lobby ‘proud’ of its members, accuses BirdLife of confrontational tactics

The hunters’ federation FKNK said the past two days had witnessed a large influx of migrating birds, especially raptors, over the Maltese islands, which it said was “unprecedented for April in living memory.”

The FKNK said “thousands” of honey buzzards, but also harriers, kestrels, some kites and other raptor species could be observed over most country areas of Malta and Gozo.

The German organisation CABS (Campaign Against Bird Slaughter) which conducted monitoring of the hunting season, also reported “a remarkable mass fly-in” of honey buzzards, harriers and other birds of prey.

“The majority of the birds continued their migration this morning unscathed,” said CABS spokesperson Axel Hirschfeld. “But despite a massive police presence, a number of poachers used the opportunity to shoot down several birds of prey yesterday evening and this morning”.

FKNK said in a statement that it was extremely proud of its members and their behaviour. “These genuine hunters enjoyed the marvellous scenery notwithstanding also witnessing a very poor April hunting season with regards to turtle dove and quail migration after four years of being unjustly deprived of their traditional socio-cultural passion of spring hunting.”

BirdLife Europe together with its national partner BirdLife Malta, today asked for an immediate suspension of the ongoing spring hunting season in Malta, in order to prevent more protected birds from being killed and injured.

BirdLife Malta said its field surveys on the ground show that this open season is used as a cover for many illegal activities that put at risk many birds of European conservation concern.

FKNK reacted saying BirdLife persisted in confrontational tactics “using misleading information rather than embark on methods of collaboration with the FKNK and the Police so as to reach a common goal. The FKNK would have expected BirdLife to applaud government on the success of the application of the derogation for this spring hunting season.”

The Maltese government allowed, for the period of 13-30 April 2011, the shooting of a limited number of Turtle Dove and Common Quail under a unique derogation on the Birds Directive.

BirdLife said that during its international Spring Watch camp, held during the peak migration period between 10-24 April, over 800 illegalities spread throughout the countryside were recorded, including the shooting down of protected birds.

The FKNK took note of CABS’s statement reporting “real progress after some 200 birds of prey in Miżieb were able to fly off unharmed despite the presence of some 50 persons with shotguns.”

FKNK said there were some 300 hunters in the Mizieb area at that moment.

“The FKNK, with the aid of its thousands of members plus its commissioned security services company, and with the full collaboration of the police force… has also lodged official detailed reports about confirmed illegalities, the vast majority of which occurred in the hours when hunting was not permitted.  “These reports will form an integral part of a report regarding the application of this spring’s derogation, which the FKNK will eventually also submit to the EU Commission for its consideration,” the FKNK said.

The federation said it would not allow “any criminal who persists in shooting on protected bird species to mar, in any manner, the efforts of genuine hunters.”