The Federation for Hunting & Conservation – Malta (FKNK), said that the Malta Government this spring applied a derogation by means of article 9 from the “Birds” Directive in order to permit hunting of turtle doves and quails on the Maltese Islands for a limited potential duration period of 126 hours, on and between the 13th and the 30th of April 2011.

The Federation for Hunting & Conservation – Malta (FKNK), an entity whose members were directly affected by such Derogation and its application, has monitored, on a first-hand basis, the situation on the ground, and has prepared and sent a Report on 30th May 2011, for the consideration of the EU Commission, D.G. Environment.

The summary from FKNK states, “the effectiveness in ensuring the Strictly Supervised Conditions, through the help of Police numerous spot-checks and preventive and timely action. Police officials Reports regarding Charges and Seizures are also presented in these Sections. More importantly, from the Police Reports, just 50 infringements result from 5,610 hunters which result just makes up 0.9% of the spring hunters, and out of the 1,665 spot checks carried out by the Police, 1,595 investigations found everything in order. Furthermore, the unequivocal fact that was clearly evident during the derogated period is that the presence of over 5,000 law-abiding hunters in the field was the best deterrent against illegal activities.”

It went on to say “the FKNK’s satisfaction that the conditions of the derogation were observed, and that the overwhelming majority of the licensed hunters behaved in an exemplary manner. The Federation is also very pleased that personalities known in ornithological circles have witnessed for themselves the great and tangible improvements in the hunting process during the derogation period, and in particular that the specific and more delicate issue regarding the exercising of ‘strict control’ were observed.”

“Inasmuch as they were not required by the “Birds” Directive, the FKNK disagrees with certain impositions of the derogation that unnecessarily hindered the attainment of a complete satisfactory alternative solution to autumn.”

An Executive Summary of the report can be read in full here.

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