BirdLife Malta has insisted that its publication "A spring guide to reclaiming your countryside" is not funded by the European Union but by its own members.

The society was reacting to comments in Parliament by Labour MP Joe Abela.

Tolga Temuge, Executive Director BirdLife Malta, said that it seemed that Mr Abela had not understood the content of this information booklet.

"According to MEPA only 22% of Maltese terrain consists of natural vegetation. And 80% of that limited countryside is open to hunting, leaving almost no room for the majority of people in this country to enjoy their countryside in peace," he said.

On Mr Abela's comments on the rights of hunters being trampled upon, Birdlife said Malta is the only country in the EU that still allows spring hunting, has the longest hunting period in Europe, has the highest density of hunters per square kilometre and has only a mere 22 police ALE officers to check illegal hunting.

"Mr. Abela is more than welcome to join BirdLife Malta volunteers during the peak migration period to witness firsthand the illegal killing of protected species and the occupation of our countryside," Temuge said.

BirdLife called on the Malta Labour Party to state whether Mr Abela's position reflected the official party line on the issue of hunting.

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