Hunters lambast 'delaying tactics'

The Federation for Hunting and Conservation has accused the government of using Ornis committee meetings as a smokescreen and employing delaying tactics to prolong its decision on bird trapping.

The outburst came after a meeting about the future of bird trapping was postponed.

The federation had recently submitted a report, which, it said, was based on principles of compensating for birds trapped by putting back others in the wild, a concept lauded by the EU and which was meant to be discussed in a meeting on Tuesday.

"However, by coincidence or otherwise, at the commencement of (the) meeting, the chairman informed the members present that the director of the environment had just called to say he could not make it and he did not send a substitute as he normally does.

It said two other government appointees also brought a last-minute excuse for not attending and the third government appointee had excused himself from attending the meeting way back on June 24. This meant the meeting could not make any decisions, the federation said.

The meeting was put off to July 28.