“The Maltese hunters federation FKNK is systematically wasting police and court resources by filing false reports to defame and muzzle birdwatchers who have exposed crimes committed by members of the federation,” the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) said today.
“Instead of taking a clear stand against the lawbreakers the FKNK is actively supporting them in their efforts to victimise CABS members and other witnesses who have reported cases of illegal hunting and trapping to the police,” CABS Press Officer Axel Hirschfeld said adding that “the same tactics are being used by criminal organisations and autocratic regimes to intimidate uncomfortable critics.”
CABS said that it is reacting to accusations of FKNK-officials who recently asked if CABS Wildlife Crime Officer Fiona Burrows “is really trying to protect the birds, or if she was attempting to justify trespassing and deliberate damage on private property.”
The statement was published by the FKNK last week after a survey conducted by CABS revealed that illegal night trapping of Golden Plovers is widespread and that it had reported several illegal sites to the police.
CABS confirmed that Ms. Burrows is a known ornithologist and that “she was asked by officers of the Naxxar police to help assist them after a trapping site was found to be illegally active last Sunday morning at around 1:30am.”
“As the ALE was not on duty at this time the local police needed an expert to help them with bird identification and document other evidence” Axel Hirschfeld added.
CABS said that the FKNK have “systematically flooded the police with complaints about Ms. Burrows since the 32 year old started working for CABS in 2014. She was dragged to court because the FKNK insisted that she was acting illegally when rescuing and handling shot protected birds. In June last year the court ruled that she only wanted to help the birds and that this is perfectly legal and so was acquitted.”
“Last month the FKNK falsely accused and reported Ms Burrows for the alleged illegal intercepting of trappers´ mobile phones with a mysterious antenna which – the FKNK said – was installed by Ms. Burrows,” said CABS.
The alleged “CABS spy-equipment” later turned out to be a seismic monitoring apparatus installed by the University of Malta, but FKNK neither removed the wrong accusations from their website nor published an apology, added CABS.
“This kind of defamation of character is libellous and will not be tolerated”, Axel Hirschfeld declared, “we will not be intimidated by these repeated attempts to discredit and victimise our employees and will continue to work side by side with the police as usual.”
CABS added the FKNK has also filed numerous police reports against Maltese birdwatchers who spoke out against illegal hunting and the FKNK in the comments section of several national newspapers.
“While the FKNK time and again has failed to provide evidence to their their accusations, the investigations and reports of CABS and Birdlife Malta have led to the successful conviction of more than 100 poachers – the majority of them being members of the FKNK – in the last years,” Axel Hirschfeld said.
Photo: CABS Bird Guard monitoring illegal trapping with the police