Girgenti incident

Birdlife would like to make a clarification regarding the report 'Volunteers call for raptor protection' (The Sunday Times, September 14).

Your report quotes our president, Joseph Mangion, recounting the experience of our team of birdwatchers at Girgenti when they were surrounded by a group of "10 hunters (who) approached birdwatchers in Girgenti and told them in no uncertain terms not to return the next day."

Your report then quotes a comment that Mr Mangion made in a separate context: "The police have failed to take action, and the government is silent."

When Mr Mangion made this comment, he was not referring to the incident in Girgenti, but to the lack of action taken to restrain the sinister and xenophobic statements being made in the press by FKNK leaders.

In the Girgenti incident, the police did come to the scene and prevented the matter from escalating - as Mr Mangion clearly stated during the press conference and as stated in a Birdlife press release on September 13.