The FKNK hunters' federation complained this evening that in a legal notice last week announcing the forthcoming autumn/winter hunting and trapping open seasons, the government has bowed to an unjust demand by BirdLife Malta (BLM) that is not required at all by the EU Birds Directive.

"The Malta Ornis Committee, which makes recommendations on hunting and trapping to the Prime Minister, for the third year in succession was not in agreement with the BLM-proposed afternoon hunting-ban in the last fortnight of September. Despite this, the government again decided to vitiate the local regulations with this ban. The government's statement that the measure is necessary ‘to protect birds of prey' holds no water because birds of prey, and other protected birds, occur over the Maltese Islands all the year round, and not just on those September afternoons," the FKNK said.

It insisted that the afternoon ban was grossly unfair on those bona-fide hunters whose work prevented them from hunting in the morning. It penalized people who never shot at protected birds and fully supported the association's policy of zero tolerance.

"Besides, the measure is useless because protected birds roosting on September evenings can easily be shot by criminals during the night or early next morning on departing."

The FKNK said this legal notice was the latest casualty of unjust decisions, after Legal Notice 222 that declared a discriminatory spring-hunting season, refused outright by 99.8% of hunters, and the 'ridiculous and irresponsible' Legal Notice 283 that added, onto Malta's huntable list, nine species alien to the Maltese Islands.