The Hunters’ and Trappers’ federation (FKNK) said today that “BirdLife Malta (BLM)’s childish actions, this week, especially their unethical and discriminate targeting of Government employees, are unacceptable in a democratic and civilised world.”

FKNK stated that, ” BLM should come to realise that they cannot lead Government by the nose, nor continue to deceive the general public and connected European entities by continuing such charades.

“Therefore, for the good of wild birds and Malta, true ornithologists should see to the establishment of a local genuine ornithological society that lacks anti-hunting sentiments and is not politically motivated as is BLM.”

It said that the Wild Birds Regulation Unit (WBRU) was set up in 2010, following separate meetings with the Malta Prime Minister, Dr. Joseph Muscat, and the then Prime Minister Dr. Lawrence Gonzi, the FACE (Federation of Associations for Hunting & Conservation in the EU) Secretary General proposed the setting-up of a Government hunting governance unit in line with other EU Member States.

“This Unit, the WBRU, now set-up within the Environment Ministry, deals with all matters regarding sustainable hunting and trapping (live-bird capturing), and as such, besides other conservationists, has deemed fit to include, within its ranks and employees, hunting and trapping experts.”

“BLM now seem to be enraged with this Unit and have resorted to shameful, unethical, desperate and personal attack methods in their anti-hunting efforts to rubbish the Unit and to tarnish its integrity,” the FKNK said.

“Their attacks on the person of a civil servant employed with the Unit, a trapping expert who is a member of the FKNK (Federation for Hunting & Conservation – Malta) and an ex-Council Member of the same FKNK, verge on serious unconstitutional discrimination, since the personal attacks are based on the fact that this particular civil servant happens to also be a trapper,” the FKNK statement said.

The FKNK said that BLM officials, members and activists were, over the past decades, employed with Government’s Environment Department and/or other related Government departments, the functions of whom were directly related to and directly affected hunting and trapping issues that have now been taken over by the WBRU.

The hunters said that these included, Joseph Sultana, Saviour Balzan, Alfred Baldacchino and Darren Grima.

“Out of respect and ethical manners,” the FKNK said that it “will not name others, who at present still occupy influential positions within hunting and trapping related Government Departments and who are known to be anti-hunting persons.”

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