BirdLife has welcomed the hunters' federation call on the Commissioner of Police to act against the unauthorised construction of hunting and trapping hides on public land.

In a statement, BirdLife said it was about time that the FKNK made such a call and BirdLife expected it to assist the authorities in identifying the thousands of illegally constructed hunting and trapping hides throughout the country to ensure their removal.

"The FKNK should start by stating which of their council members have constructed such illegal structures on public land including the ones in Mizieb and is-Simar Bird Sanctuary.

"Referring to FKNK’s claim that BirdLife volunteers displayed an ‘imitation shotgun’, BirdLife stated that this was a broom which was used to clean up the spent cartridges at the site at the end of the peaceful protest."

BirdLife said that while the FKNK described yesterday's activity as a 'farce', the hunting lobby failed to notice that the point was to depict the farcical situation in Malta where hunters and trappers sit on public land and face no enforcement action.

These double standards had to be stopped once and for all, because the Maltese were obliged to seek development permits on their own private land, let alone occupy an area that belongs to the nation.

BirdLife stated that the FKNK’s tactic of holding successive governments to ransom has allowed an unacceptable situation where hunters and trappers in Malta were above the law.

“FKNK must abide by the same rules that any other NGO entrusted with the management of public land is obliged to follow.

"We expect the FKNK to ensure the removal of all 256 hides in Mizieb, including the ones within the adjacent is-Simar Bird Sanctuary,” sBirdLife Malta executive director Tolga Temuge said.