1 comment.FKNK “unreservedly condemns” shooting down of tracked Honey-Buzzard
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The hunters’ federation FKNK has said that it “unreservedly condemns the killing of a European Honey Buzzard in Malta which was being satellite tracked for the purpose of research.”
In a statement, the FKNK urged its members with any information on this case to report it immediately to the FKNK or to the Police section of the Environment Protection Unit (EPU) on 21224001.
The FKNK was referring to a GPS-tracked Finnish Honey-buzzard which was shot down in Malta in the past days after a three-week migratory journey through ten European countries before reaching the Maltese Islands.
The bird was found dead in a private garden, with the help of local Police and information obtained from the tracking device by the Finnish researchers.
In its statement, the FKNK said that it “knows how much time, money and sacrifices it takes to carry out scientific projects involving satellite monitoring, and therefore such acts work against science and the sustainable future, as well as against legal hunters and trappers.”
The hunters’ federation concluded by saying that it “promotes and works for legal and sustainable hunting, an illegal act like this, which is unfortunately being connected to such sustainable hunting, is just a villainous act against the legal hunting practised by thousands of members of the federation.”
The dead GPS-tracked Finnish Honey-buzzard (Photo by Nicholas Barbara, BirdLife Malta)
Sorry FKNK but I don’t believe you. I am sure most of your members adhere to the rules but there are too many birds shot illegally and the only reason this instance has come to light is because the bird was being tracked by another country – otherwise it would have been swept under the carpet (and into the taxidermists) as usual. We all know illegal hunting goes on and we all know no one is willing to do anything because it would be political suicide. Yet another sorry instance of life in Malta and Gozo. How much more are you willing to take?