FKNK rebuts claims of mass killing of birds
Police asked to investigate CABS claims
The Federation for Hunting and Conservation – Malta (FKNK) has accused CABS – the Committee Against Bird Slaughter, of having issued an unfounded and grossly misleading statement on Saturday claiming that hundreds of birds had been killed in a matter of hours.
In a letter to the Police Commissioner, the federation asked the police to investigate the CABS claim.
The Office of the Prime Minister last week also asked the police to investigate the claim.
"The facts as stated by these persons are unfounded and untruthful and have been so presented intentionally and maliciously in the hope that if sufficient reaction is provoked, then these persons would have obtained their declared intention to obtain an unjustified early closure of the autumn hunting season whilst at the same time justifying their presence and remuneration in Malta, bringing also their report to the attention of the European Commission precisely at a stage when the legal proceedings instituted by the European Commission against Malta in regard to hunting are still pending," the FKNK complained.
They asked the Police Commissioner to note that:
"The very same Statement issued by CABS identifies a maximum of nine birds observed as having been shot. The rest (that is the difference between these nine and the “hundreds” mentioned) are explained only in expressions of conjecture and presumption unsubstantiated by any objective of credible facts.
"At the same time, on a period of six days and not of a few hours, Bird Life Malta reported that twelve birds were brought to its attention."
The FKNK said the CABS team came to Malta to carry out their task equipped with sophisticated equipment that was more than adequate for their task and therefore they were in a highly ideal position to obtain clear evidence of what they were alleging. Their website, they said, presented in a prominent manner a video clip of an alleged Maltese hunter picking up a protected bird. It was neither credible not likely that having presented one instance of illegal hunting in such detail, they were unable to produce in similar fashion clear evidence of the “hundreds of protected birds of prey shot by Maltese hunters”.
It had been observed both by non hunters and by a number of officials that even with the extraordinary presence of birds of prey brought to Malta by the unforeseen vagaries ,only a few isolated incidents of illegal hunting were reported, the FKNK said.
"As you are well aware FKNK whilst defending and promoting the rights and position of its members, has always condemned any illegal hunting and has always made it clear that none of its members found guilty of such practice will find any comfort within its ranks. For the FKNK even if only nine or twelve birds of prey find themselves as the target of irresponsible hunters, they are nine and twelve too many and this is therefore unacceptable. Similarly unacceptable however is the abuse of these members of the CABS team who after having been given maximum assistance by the Maltese authorities have chosen to intentionally present false and misleading facts both to the Maltese public and abroad.”
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Sylvana Zarb Darmnanin
Sep 27th 2008, 19:04
Mr. Jeremy J. Camilleri, a true case of: "L-Ispizjjar milli jkollu jaghtik"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Who do you think you are kidding>
Jeremy J Camilleri
Sep 27th 2008, 00:34
First they condemn the killing...then they deny it....
D Camilleri
Sep 26th 2008, 22:33
the CABS web site has a close up of the hunter who killed two marsh harriers including his dogs and where he was hunting, I find it hard to believe no law abiding hunter or FKNK official knows this man, or maybe you're all protecting your mate.
alfredlmallia
Sep 26th 2008, 20:47
according to cabs the maltese hunters are barbarians??? can the police complete their investigation fast so we shall have a clear idea who is at fault!
l Galea
Sep 26th 2008, 20:45
@J Oatmon
So is it ok to shoot birds in other countries but not in Malta?
Antony Caruana
Sep 26th 2008, 18:19
These claims by CABS may or may not be over estimated but the FKNK tells us that there hunters do not shoot at protected birds and only hunt at the designated times , they also say they support the police and will help to bring to justice anyone shooting illegally, I know who I trust the most and sure is not the COWARDS at the FKNK
J Oatmon
Sep 26th 2008, 17:56
The numbers of birds shot down illegally may be in doubt, but there is absolutely no doubt several bird shooters are acting illegally.
Malta is just too small for thousands of bird shooters roaming the few wild areas shooting birds.
Shooting outside of shooting ranges should be banned in Malta, and the FKNK should organise charter flights for it's members to foriegn countries where bird shooting is permitted, Finland, Sweden, Russia, Canada etc.
In this way the bird shooters get their thrills, and the rest of the Maltese and the tourists will get some peace and quiet, and maybe in Malta there will be fewer gun crimes, and mpre tourists.
MARK MIFSUD BONNICI
Sep 26th 2008, 17:29
C Finch
"whether it is one or thousands" is in fact the most relevant. Even more so when Malta is being accused of being the worst offender.
Cabs actually are turning Malta's ones into hundreds and have the cheek to report "massive shooting down of birds of prey" whilst having no proof to support such a claim
Who ever said illegalities do not occur. Indeed they do. But can you honestly support the "Massive shooting" CABS are claiming.
If you had to look at their daily dairy on http://www.komitee.de/en/index.php?diary2008 and add up all their reported incidents you might realize that they have taken all for a ride.
CABS are deceiving the public and that is why they are being investigated. It seems that their fabrications and deceitful manipulation of facts is also proving to be a nuisance to the authorities.
The spring season has not been banned. It has only been suspended pending a court judgement. And if it pleases you to know it was CABS, Birdlife, Alternattiva and friends that brought about the EU court case and not the illegal shooter.
It was also suspended two seasons ago after another alleged massacre that to date no one proved existed.
J. Borg
Sep 26th 2008, 17:06
Well done to FKNK for now deciding to mark distinctively private ‘hunting’ land.
Now, just to ensure that there will be no abuses by ‘some few’, let’s have such displays bearing also an official stamp from the Public Registry or the Dept. of Lands confirming that the land is private and the owner a registered hunter, together with a site plan demarcating the specific private land.
One expects that any hunter within his land would also ensure that the lead pellets he blasts into birds and the sky, would fall within the parameter of his marked 'domain'.
As to the other hunters roaming on public land – three cheers for successive spineless governments who condone such annual extended expropriation.
T Mifsud
Sep 26th 2008, 16:36
It is immaterial whether the hunters, abide by the law or not, the fact is that it takes just one shot out of 16000 to down a bird. They will then shoot collectively in a barage at any report of birds being shot.
I am sure the FKNK, and its messengers here do not object to a democratic proposal of sending the issue to the public and vote for a Total BAN on hunting, Closed Seasons or As Is in a NATIONAL REFERENDUM.
A Referendum on hunting is needed today since FKNK cannot (will not, or worse defend)illegal hunting (never mind empy words of press releases).
We need a Referendum and ask the Maltese People who have a right to enjoy the birds as much as any other, to cast their vote on the issue.
l borg
Sep 26th 2008, 16:30
ONCE AGAIN THE FKNK IS NOT LIVING IN MALTA
EVEN IN 2002 ONE OF EUROPE S BIGGEST ENVIOROMENT TERRORIST ACT
THE KILLING OF 1000 HONEY BUZZARDS IN THE SOUTH BY HUNTERS THEY DID NOT SAY A WORD AND EVEN WHEN IT WAS REPORTED ON EURONEWS
FORGET IT FKNK WITH EVERYONE OWNING A VIDEO CAMERS AND THE INTERNET YOUR HEY DAYS ARE OVER AND CLEARY SHOWS BY DENIALING IT MAKES YOU MORE UNCREDIBLE
THE LAST 3 ELECTIONS DEFEAT BY YOUR SUPPORTIVE PARTY IS MORE THEN ENOUGH LESSON YOU SHOULD LEARN
PEOPLE WANT A HUNTING FREE MALTA
Chris Finch
Sep 26th 2008, 16:14
No Mark,
All the hatred is not because of the campaigns by birdlife or CABS, it is because some people cant help but shoot at anything that flies. Instead of signs warning those who care for birds to keep out, surely a sign saying poachers keep out would be better PR for your organisation.
After all it is those people who will bring about a hunting ban far quicker ( like they did in the spring 2007 season) than CABS or Birdlife.
After the positive statement the FKNK made th eother day, this just reverses everything.
Protected birds are being shot - whether it is one or thousands is irrelevant.
Antoine Grima
Sep 26th 2008, 16:06
May i ask the public in general to listen out to all these hundreds of shots fired by the hunters , causing the slaughter in question. Malta is very small and a shot fired at the other side of the island , can be heared by half the population , or maybe the hunters are using silencers now . Face the facts CABS , you have been missled big time . you are so dissapointed that now you are refering to lies and more lies . Of course there is people breaking the law , tell me were ther is not ? CATCH THE FEW AND MAKE THEM PAY , and leave the rest of us in piece .This is all a build up to the fight to stop hunting in Spring which has to be decided next year . You only pick on the little fish . I wonder how the German government and hunters would react if things were reversed ?
Anthony Formosa
Sep 26th 2008, 15:24
Can any of animal lover remind our readers with the number of animals that were killed because of the BSE that started from Germany and UK? I believe the number was enormous, but since it started in Germany nobody cares. If this case happened in Malta we would be called barbarians.
MARK MIFSUD BONNICI
Sep 26th 2008, 15:14
All the hatred being directed towards hunters immaterial on whether they are law abiding or not is a direct result of an incessant campaign aimed at influencing public opinion.
The recent series of hysterical comments demanding a ban on hunting are a direct result of the "massacres of protected birds' being unquestionably printed by some of the the media and taken as gospel truth by gullible readers.
Has it ever occurred to those in hysterics, what 16.000 hunters would be capable of doing if as alleged they would shoot at anything that flies. Would it result in 3 storks and a dozen other protected birds being shot or would we really witness a massacre.
This reaction by those that oppose hunting is what CABS are after. That is why they inflate, sensationalize. and manage to fool most.
The illegal element exists and is being dealt with. As is the false propaganda of those who deceitfully misinform the general public and Tarnish Malta's image in the process.
Hopefully the results of the police investigation will expose who the real criminals are.
Mark Cassar
Sep 26th 2008, 14:05
Please, please and please stop saying that hunters are doing mass killing. Were are the thousands of hundreds of raptors that migrate to Malta in their passage to Africa? They are not saying the truth, but just lying. The cabs only want to abolish hunting from Malta and to give a bad name to the Maltsese hunters. Cabs just go to your land and see the mass killing of your countries first and leave the police to control the situation in Malta. This is an extraction from the Cabs site:
Migrant birds such as wild ducks, arctic geese, snipe species and wild pigeons and doves are popular targets for the country’s hunters. Annually some 1.5 million migrants are victims of the German passion for hunting. Hunting of almost tame wildlife – above all wild boar in so-called hunting paddocks – is also popular.
Unlike other EU states, there is a widespread lack of hunting controls in Germany. The maxim here is self-control. In many hunting preserves shooting of raptors, poisoning of ‘predators’ and other offences against hunting and nature protection legislation, is therefore the order of the day.
mark farrugia
Sep 26th 2008, 13:10
@ T Mifsud
Yes I'm condeming CABS for telling us what we should do in our country. Let us take care of our affairs and they should take care of theirs. The only thing they're doing is giving a bad picture of our country,not their's. Do they show any pictures and videos birds being killed or butchered in their country ? I don't think so!!!
I belive that our police force are doing a good job regarding this issue. I will never let some foreingers use MY COUNTRY to be in bad light when theirs is worse that ours.
malcolm said
Sep 26th 2008, 12:07
@ALBERT FENECH
Why all this hatred against hunting and hunters? Everyone has the right of a hobby, someone goes hunting and someone likes to smoke cigarettes, and maybe if it was a minute modicum on health there will be no more smokers!! :)
Best regards,
Malcolm.
Andrew Gatt
Sep 26th 2008, 11:46
FYI, CABS have sent our PM a list of DEMANDS to further erode and curtail ALL hunting - legal or otherwise - thus giving poachers more space and opportunity to operate unmolested! While I cannot condemn incidents like these strongly enough, I had a good laugh when I visited CABS' website and read what they had to say about THEIR country,. Ghandhom biex jiftahru, hej!
"Unlike other EU states, there is a widespread lack of hunting controls in Germany. The maxim here is self-control. In many hunting preserves shooting of raptors, poisoning of ‘predators’ and other offences against hunting and nature protection legislation, is therefore the order of the day." - quote taken verbatim from CABS website.
Ohhhh so virginal Germans......whiter than white.......shining halos and all...... and CABS choose to come here! Something's not quite right.............hey! Let's all go to Germany and run around demanding thts and that, here and there. That'll show 'em!
J. Borg
Sep 26th 2008, 11:06
Again, what a waste of resources, simply to glorify the taste buds of 'law abiding' hunters, who stubbornly persist in pretending they have an overriding right to kill and eat a couple of turtle doves!
Their cost is becoming evermore too illogical to justify!
I hate to think how government goes about its mission on other areas, when such obvious overdue decisions are allowed to linger on endlessly....
Robert Micallef
Sep 26th 2008, 10:55
@ A Fenech
Yes St'Paul of Tarsus did call us (Maltese) barbarians but most probably was because the maltese people always used to lie and exagerate when they wanted their way. Spread your word with love and co-operation not brain washing dear Albert!
Richard Cachia Zammit
Sep 26th 2008, 10:55
Isn’t it amazing how hunters and their federation always refer to Birdlife as Birdlies but when it suits them, they are very quick to quote from Birdlife reports. I’m referring to the fact that to try and disprove CABS they mentioned that “At the same time, on a period of six days and not of a few hours, Bird Life Malta reported that twelve birds were brought to its attention." Since they included this in their press release to counter argue CABS claims, they must have accepted what Birdlife said. Good…because that actually shows how bad the situation is. These birds brought to the attention of Birdlife are wounded birds which have escaped the poacher who shot them and then found by someone willing to hand them over to Birdlife and therefore, this really is only the tip of the iceberg and one can get a clear idea of how extensive illegal hunting is.
Geoffrey Mifsud Farrugia
Sep 26th 2008, 10:52
@Albert Fenech
There is a way out of all this. An abrogative referendum should put a stop to all of this nonsense. let's kick it off, decide on the issue once and for all and force the parliament to legislate on bird hunting.
M Attard
Sep 26th 2008, 10:49
@ Steve Azzopardi
Can you prove that "The hunters made the countryside their own and closed it off by armed intimidation and brute force"? Hunters either lease the land they hunt on, or else they own it outright. Of course there are those who hunt illegally and on public land - and this needs to be stopped.
But we are not made to stop driving because people drive down one-way roads are we? No - the police monitor and fine people who do so.
We are not stopped from owning stereos/tvs just because some people think it's ok to have the sound full on at 2am, are we? No.. if someone is bothering you, you have to refer to the legal authorities to put things right.
So as for everything else.... ENFORCEMENT is the issue here, which needs to be led by our local Government and no one else.
Yes, FKNK definately need to change some of their tactics and probably even their front-line people in order to become a credible organisation. However you cannot punish all hunters just because a number of them break the law. This is a democratic country and a democratic solution needs to be found.
A.Agius
Sep 26th 2008, 10:43
Yesterday I was watching the TV programme Geo &Geo it was about those giant turtles that lives in the galapagos.The problem is that these turtles are being endangerd by the goats that lives in hills and in the near area .They are eating all the grass and the turtles are finding a problem to find enough grass to eat.How did they solve the problem? They solved all this by shooting all the goats from a helicopter ! Is this a massacare or not or they are only stupid goats?Does they have the right to live and to be protected? Couldn`t they find a more decent solution for this problem?For some section of poeple in malta massacares only happen here .
ALBERT FENECH
Sep 26th 2008, 10:28
If there was even a minute modicum of decency and civilisation in this country, ALL hunting would have been totally banned years ago. However, we have paper tigers for politicians and a political lobby (all parties) whose only interest is to grab handfuls of votes. Over 2,000 years ago St Paul of Tarsus classed us as "barbarians". We have retained the title.
F Azzopardi
Sep 26th 2008, 10:27
I would like to thank CABS and Birdlife for their free promotion and marketing they are doing to our country. These last two years were a complete success for the tourism industry. Well done .... please keep it up this FREE marketing campaign.
At least, being a hunter and a trapper i am gaining something from your misinformation and lies you are spreading around the world.
BTW i hope that whoever is caught hunting or trapping illegally gets what he deserves.
MARK MIFSUD BONNICI
Sep 26th 2008, 10:27
The figures of protected birds allegedly shot and quoted by Cabs are to say the least, untrue, misleading and purposely inflated.
CABS are after causing a sensation. Their international press release, circulated round the globe, states "Malta: Massive Shooting Down of Birds of Prey and Storks". What they term as "massive" and as reported in their daily camp diary are the three alleged storks and no more that 12 other birds reportedly shoot.
I would consider the killing of even one protected bird as one too many but to try and influence not only the Gullible Maltese public but also the international community with such blatant unthruths is to be severly condemmned.
Before readers comment with their usual vengence against hunters, obviously having believed all of CABS's fabrications, I would await the outcome of the police investigations.
You might be surprised to learn that these con men have after all been fooling you all along.
T Mifsud
Sep 26th 2008, 09:55
Why do you keep on quoting websites and trying to send CABS away? Is this your way of curbing illegal hunting? You are not showing that you are legal hunters by shooting down reports of illegal hunting! For once, condemn it. Accept that we are headlines with murderer status in the UK. It's not about the hunting in the UK, its about the disgraceful perception of the tourists of Malta, the law in Malta and the right of enjoyment of the birds and nature by the public.
Steve Azzopardi
Sep 26th 2008, 09:54
Who exactly gave FKNK the exclusive right to decide on the number of birds that the Maltese citizens should enjoy? The hunters made the countryside their own and closed it off by armed intimidation and brute force. The majority of the public is truly against this gruesome practice and being a democratic community they should be heard.
It is about time we take back our country and conserve the little countryside we have left. We do not own this land but we have borrowed it from our children, therefore we have to return it in the same condition we received it, if not better.
Edward Farrugia
Sep 26th 2008, 09:46
@Karl Abela
According to Gonzi these 2 years were the best in these last 10 years which regards tourism, despite all the "birds massacres" happening each year.
A. Camilleri
Sep 26th 2008, 09:43
@stehen Baldacchino
Black storks are NOT ON THE DANGER LIST! Please inform yourself before you speak up. Here is a link and you can see that they are of LEASE CONCERN!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_stork
T Mifsud
Sep 26th 2008, 09:30
@mark farrugia
Are you condemming CABS for reporting illegal hunting and assisting the outnumbered authorities? Are you in favour that these volunteers are out of our country so that illegal gunting is less reported? Are you implying that if CABS were a team of Maltese people you will not say a word against them? Or will you tell them next to go monitor their village not yours?
Karl Abela
Sep 26th 2008, 09:25
These are the cowboys that are stopping all progress and civilisation in Malta.
Thanks to Gonzi for keeping a strong hand. These people are killing our tourism!!
stehen Baldacchino
Sep 26th 2008, 09:22
Just a reminder to all. Ok 3 storkes out of 12. These birds are on the danger list,do you all think that Maltese hunters got these species in the danger of extinction, or the poisioning and illegal hunting in other countries. I've been hunting nearly 11 years and I only saw storks for 2 times and mostly very high up in the skies.I would like you to visite CABS and Birdlife International Web sites and see the illrgal hunting and the numbers of Bird and song birds that are beeing killed in our european member states,than come back and give you opinions.
mark farrugia
Sep 26th 2008, 09:18
I m quite positive that if CABS members go and monitor the hunters in their respective countries they would find more law infridgement regarding bird hunting there than here in Malta. The only agenda CABS have is to try and picture our country in a bad light compered to their's.
Jean Paul Galea
Sep 26th 2008, 09:15
Same old FKNK...
T Mifsud
Sep 26th 2008, 09:08
3 Storks out of a flock of 12 were shot down. That is 1/4th. This is just the reported ones and one can presume that there are far more. But one fourth is one fourth too many....
One fourth of the Maltese population is 100,000. One fourth of the stork flock 3. It is still a mass killing!
And if Mr Lino Farrugia wants to pickup any morsels of credibility left in him after he was charged by police with having defended illegal hunting. he should refrain from attempting to diminish the gravity of the situation.
L Camilleri
Sep 26th 2008, 09:06
Tell it to the Marines FKNK