Hunters cite 50 infringements
Birdlife accuses federation of grossly understating the figure
The police only found 50 infringements during this year’s spring hunting season, according to a report filed with the European Commission by the hunters’ federation.
In a brief summary of the report circulated to the media yesterday, the hunters’ federation said the police carried out 1,665 spot checks on hunters in the season that started on April 13 and ended on April 30.
The 50 infringements make up less than one per cent of the 5,610 hunters licensed to hunt in spring.
However, Birdlife Malta contested the figure, insisting that the report only took note of those cases where the police pressed charges.
The federation of hunting and conservation said that “it was clearly evident” that the best deterrent against illegal activities was “the presence of over 5,000 law-abiding hunters in the field”.
The federation also said that the migration passage of the two bird species that could be hunted – turtle dove and quail – over the Maltese Islands during the permitted hours for hunting was “the worst such passage in living memory”.
Paul Debono, BirdLife executive director, said hunters were basing their report on a police document presented to the Ornis Committee in May.
“The police document does not include details for any other illegalities that the police investigated, witnessed, or ongoing police investigations,” Birdlife said.
The bird conservation group accused the federation of ignoring police investigations into shooting at protected species, night shooting, reports by members of the public, shot protected birds received by the police, and a whole host of other illegalities.
“We are looking at an analysis which is extremely selective about which illegalities to consider, presenting a scandalously distorted picture of this year’s spring hunting derogation,” said Mr Debono charged.