The three hunters who admitted to destroying 104 young pine trees and saplings in Mellieħa are now facing possible fines of tens of thousands of euros after the Attorney General appealed their conviction and fine of €1,000 each.

In the appeal, the AG said the fine handed down was well below the minimum accorded by law and asked for it to be raised.

Darren Cross, 24, of Birkirkara, Noel Grech, 24, and Charlot Chetcuti, 20, both of Mosta, admitted to sawing off trees and saplings that had been planted to replace some of the 3,000 felled in another act of vandalism at the protected Foresta 2000 site in October 2007.

Magistrate Anthony Vella fined them €1,000 and ordered them to pay €1,320 each in damages on August 24. They will also have to do 300 hours of community service.

According to law, upon a first conviction for cutting down trees, the men were liable to a fine of no less than €466 but not exceeding €2,330 for each tree under 10 years old. This means they now face a maximum fine of €242,320 for the 104 trees they destroyed.

The vandalism took place on April 25 which police sources had described as an act of anger over the reduced spring hunting season announced this year.

The shrubs had been bought with €58,000 donated by the public following an outcry over the 2007 incident.