Hunters blame government for attack on birdwatchers

The hunters' federation yesterday reacted to news that birdwatchers had been attacked by hunters, telling the government "it can only hold itself fully responsible for the results" of discrimination against its members.

This comes in the light of reported attacks on BirdLife activists.

The conservation group this week issued footage of a BirdLife volunteer, Paul Debono, and an Italian birdwatcher being threatened, pushed and kicked by two men in a Dingli field last Sunday.

The hunters' federation (FKNK) and the Ta' Qali Producers Group said the men in question were not hunters but farmers reacting to the BirdLife volunteers trespassing on their land.

The volunteers insist their attackers were hunters, pointing out that, in the footage of the scuffle, one of the men could be overheard suggesting that they should hide their shotguns from the police.

Shortly after the FKNK statement, BirdLife reported another incident, saying that, at 7 a.m. yesterday, a car carrying four of its volunteers in the proximity of an illegal trapping site in the Foresta 2000 area in Mellieħa was ambushed by two men wearing camouflage attire who then pelted the car with big stones. The men then fled.

FKNK secretary Lino Farrugia, however, criticised BirdLife's monitoring of the countryside for illegal hunting. "At first, BirdLife used to organise bird-watching camps. Now they think they're policemen. They're provoking us with the apparent approval of the government," he said.

The Times asked whether this amounted to condoning the violence and Mr Farrugia replied that "both physical and psychological violence and provocation" should be avoided at all costs. The FKNK complained that hunters had to wear arm-bands identifying them as registered hunters while environmental activists were allowed to roam free without no identification whatsoever.

FKNK public relations officer Joe Perici Calascione called for "immediate legislation" ensuring that people in the countryside acting as "pseudo police-officers" would pay a licence equivalent to the hunting licence payable, wear an arm-band, stick to foot-paths and not "invade private property".

He said the "last time people had to wear arm-bands was during World War II, when Jews were put in concentration camps".