Birdlife Malta said that in the statement issued by FKNK today, it said “that the police recorded only 50 infringements,” BirdLife Malta said that “the FKNK is only considering the charges being pressed by the police, based on a police document presented to the Ornis Committee in May.”

“The police document does not include details for any other illegalities that the police investigated, witnessed, or ongoing police investigations,” Birdlife continued.

“Furthermore the FKNK base their statement solely on the number of spot checks carried out by police, failing to take into consideration police investigations into shooting at protected species, night shooting, reports by members of the public, shot protected birds received by the police, and a whole host of other illegalities,” Birdlife said.

“We are looking at an analysis which is extremely selective about which illegalities to consider, presenting a scandalously distorted picture of this year’s spring hunting derogation,” said Paul Debono, BirdLife Malta Executive Director.

“In the first days of the spring hunting season the FKNK successfully lobbied the authorities to drop charges, and return shotguns and ammunition to hunters apprehended by the police for not complying with hunting regulations. These are yet more infringements that are not included in the FKNK analysis,”Birdlife stated.

“During the spring hunting season BirdLife Malta and CABS recorded nearly 950 shots outside hunting hours, 61 protected birds being shot at, jointly received 22 shot protected birds, and recorded 52 protected birds with gunshot injuries in flight. Illegal hunters were apprehended in only a handful of these illegal incidents,” Birdlife concluded.

Photo – This protected Hoopoe that had been shot, was recovered dead by a member of the public on the first day of the spring hunting derogation period, Bidlife said is not included as an illegality in the FKNK’s analysis. Photo by BirdLife Malta.

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