Birdlife slams decision to return confiscated hunting guns

A decision by the authorities to return shot guns confiscated by the police from hunters was shot down by Birdlife, which accused government of succumbing to pressure from the hunting federation.

The guns were confiscated by police after hunters failed to produce the necessary documentation upon request.

The spring hunting season started last Wednesday and is expected to continue until the end of the month.

The police action was deemed to be draconian by the hunting federation, which claimed that in the past hunters were always given 48 hours to produce their documentation.

The federation lobbied the Prime Minister and the Police Commissioner on the matter and yesterday the shot guns were returned with a stern warning.

Bird conservation group Birdlife expressed displeasure at the decision.

“The decision... throws into question the government’s commitment to strictly enforce this year’s spring hunting season,” Geoffrey Saliba, Birdlife campaigns coordinator said in a statement yesterday.

He accused the Prime Minister of caving in to the demands of the hunting federation and insisted government was obliged to ensure strict conditions of enforcement as a basic requirement of the derogation to hunt in spring.

“This latest decision by the government not only undermines police efforts at enforcement but also jeopardises the strict supervision test required as part of the spring hunting derogation,” Mr Saliba said.

Birdlife insists that no derogations should be permitted for spring hunting of species that have unfavourable conservation status such as quails and turtle doves.

Under this year’s derogation hunters can shoot a maximum of 9,000 turtle doves and 2,500 quails and the season should close before April 30 if the bag limits are reached.

Hunters also have individual bag limits: they can shoot up to one bird a day and a maximum of four in the whole season.

Some 5,600 hunters applied for the special spring hunting licence.