UPDATED: Hunters hit out at government involvement in BirdLife campaign

The Hunters’ Federation has accused the Maltese government, through MEPA, of participating and part-sponsoring a two-year campaign to exterminate trapping after having to safeguard it.

“That the Maltese government has unashamedly and cruelly sacrificed an integral part of the lives of thousands of Maltese hunters and trappers, is today, a matter of fact. But that it participates in and sponsors financially a two-year campaign to exterminate a Maltese and Gozitan socio-cultural activity that it so vehemently promised to uphold and safeguard before the EU referendum is, not only inexplicable but totally unacceptable,” the FKNK said.

The federation asked whether this was the way the government wasted taxpayers’ money. It pointed out that the government had been withholding refunds due to the FKNK since 2007, despite their inclusion in the Budget estimates!

The federation said it was also shameful that the EU wasopting to use of taxpayers’ funds to abolish - trapping.

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) denies that it has financially contributed towards the two-year BirdLife campaign that commenced last week.

In a reaction, MEPA denied sponsoring the BirdLife campaign.

"While the Authority acknowledges that it was willing to support this project, it had specifically requested BirdLife (Malta) to directly involve key stakeholders such as FKNK and other associations that represent trappers in the project activities as a condition of MEPA sponsorship.

"Because this condition was not fulfilled, MEPA did not enter into any formal commitment with BirdLife to sponsor this project, MEPA said.