Hunters’ federation report to the police annoys bird lovers

BirdLife Malta and the hunters’ federation are at loggerheads after the latter filed a report with the Police Commissioner holding environmentalists responsible for an incident in summer when dead protected birds were found in Miżieb.

BirdLife retaliated by calling on the Police Commissioner and the Office of the Prime Minister to “inform the public of the investigations into the discovery of hundreds of dead birds in Miżieb in 2009 and 2010”. It said in a search last September it uncovered the remains of over 80 dead protected birds in Miżieb.

The altercation between the two sides was sparked off by the hunters’ federation announcement it had filed a report over the “illegal activity” that occurred “without authorisation or permit” last ­September.

It argued that BirdLife employees Andrè Raine and Geoffrey Saliba, besides other members and activists of the Committee Against Birds Slaughter, carried out a search when hunting and trapping were still permissible. It accused BirdLife of claiming to have lifted a number of dead protected birds, insisting the activists had no permit to do so. BirdLife termed this as a “false statement” saying Miżieb was public land and no authorisation was necessary for the public to enter this woodland. It said it was not intimidated by the federation’s comments and was considering taking legal action against the “defamatory” statements it made.

Moreover, although the federation claimed it was entitled to the land in Miżieb, no legal agreement was ever provided to prove this. “Miżieb is densely packed with hunting and trapping hides built on public land, some of which are brick and concrete structures with padlocked metal doors. These include hides built in an area protected as a bird sanctuary,” BirdLife said. Yet, the authorities continued to “turn a blind eye” to these structures, it said.