The Federation for Hunting and Conservation – Malta (FKNK) said today that “any illegal shooting of protected bird species is absolutely unacceptable. FKNK, together with the assistance of the police and backed-up with the full weight of the wrath of its thousands of genuine members, will continue striving so that these criminals are eradicated from the Maltese countryside once and for all.”

“The FKNK said it “reiterates and unreservedly warns that it 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 also repeats its warning that anyone who is arraigned on cases of illegal shooting on protected species and who happens to be within its members’ ranks, that such person will have his/her membership suspended with immediate effect and if found guilty by the competent Court will have such membership cancelled. 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. Here the FKNK once more appeals to Government so that with its help, an adequate solution is found so that these cases are addressed and will not continue to harm the genuine hunters as well as our islands since these cases can be used by some to be disseminated across the globe as though this reflects Maltese hunting and trapping practices.”

The FKNK went on to say, “during the closed season since yesterday after 3.00 p.m. up to today, the FKNK received certain reports of illegal shooting of protected species and in those cases that could be confirmed, the FKNK filed immediate official reports with the police. In fact, yesterday evening at about 9.30 p.m. a report was filed that someone was trying to shoot, with the aid of artificial lighting, at marsh harriers that had landed in the vicinity of Burmarrad. This morning, another report was filed that at about 10.00 a.m. someone shot at a grey heron in the area of tal-Faghta in Kalkara.”

FKNK concluded by saying, “yesterday’s and today’s incidents are another clear confirmation that the legal practice of hunting, with the presence of genuine hunters in the Maltese countryside, is the best prevention to illegal shooting of protected species. 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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