FKNK urges hunter to report matter to the police

The hunters' federation (FKNK) yesterday condemned Monday's incident in which a BirdLife ranger was hit by shotgun pellets in the face, urging the authorities to bring the responsible "criminal" to justice.

"Such a person is not worth the title of a hunter," the federation said, standing in stark contrast with the comments made on the federation's forum by a few members who mostly poked fun at the incident.

"At least he'll have a lasting impression of Maltese hunters... ," said a member who signed in as Lix.

The victim, Ray Vella, who happens to be one of BirdLife's Foresta 2000 rangers, reported being shot in the face late on Monday afternoon by a hunter who fled the scene hurling abuse at him, insulting him and "his organisation".

Luckily, he was only slightly injured by a pellet which lodged itself in his nasal bridge. Other pellets which hit his forehead and left cheek only caused superficial abrasions.

The investigations so far have yielded no suspects, according to police sources.

The FKNK said that even if it were an accident, the person responsible should not have fled the scene as Mr Vella reported.

"A responsible hunter would have seen to any injuries and helped any third party whom he may have accidentally hit while hunting. If such a hunter was involved in this incident, the FKNK urges him to shoulder his responsibilities and immediately report the matter to the nearest police station."

The federation took exception to comments made by BirdLife Malta president Joe Mangion, particularly when he said that "our citizens cannot enjoy their countryside in safety..." and attacked the hunters' lobby for its "xenophobic messages inciting violence..." The federation hinted it might even institute libel proceedings.

BirdLife has been incensed with recent comments made by the federation's secretary Lino Farrugia, calling on hunters to protect their land from foreigners (birdwatchers here for the recent raptor camps) and other references to the Turkish nationality of the conservation group's director, Tolga Temuge.