FKNK asks police to investigate bird 'cemetery' reports

The FKNK federation of hunters' association has asked the Police Commissioner to investigate reports of a bird cemetery at Mizieb, made over the past few days by BirdLife and CABS international birdwatchers.

In an open letter to the Commissioner, the FKNK said that for most people, thankfully mass graves were happenings from unsavoury episodes of history.

"However for German based CABS and their partners from BirdLife Malta Raptor Camp, who at present freely roam the Maltese countryside, this is apparently not so evident going by their 'reports' of unearthing a Mass Grave of dead protected wild birds from our managed Hunting Reserve of Mizieb.

"By means of this communication we therefore would like to officially request a Police enquiry of these 'reports', also by the qualified investigation of a professional avian veterinarian appointed through Government's Animal Welfare division, who should eventually determine the cause and time of death of the birds. We are sure you can understand the coincidence in these 'reports' especially since the exceptional discoveries are being reported now, as an aftermath of the ECJ milestone verdict of the 10th instant, and also because we fail to comprehend how hundreds of specially trained dogs, masters in their sense of smell, that belong to our members who are present at Mizieb on a daily basis have failed to detect a single dead bird before the 'reports'."

The FKNK said it would give its full support in the enquiry including the support of some 300 members who were regularly present at Mizieb, having been so organized under an FKNK Sub-Committee for the management of the area since 1986.

"We repeat our request made last Sunday to Assistant Commissioner Josie Brincat and Inspector Alex Miruzzi, in that we would appreciate being informed with the details of persons who have been apprehended and will be arraigned for killing protected birds since the arrival in Malta of both CABS and BirdLife Malta Raptor Camp."

The FKNK said that last Sunday it offered to pay for extra police to accompany any group/couple/individual from both CABS and Raptor Camp on any outing these undertake up to their departure from Malta. It asked the Commissioner if he had any reaction to the request.