Hunters vow action over government policy
The Federation for Hunting and Conservation yesterday said it would embark on a “different course of action” over the government’s attempts to “gradually eradicate” hunting and trapping.
The federation did not, however, spell out what that course of action might be.
In a strongly-worded statement, it claimed that the government was “led by the nose by BirdLife Malta” and described the lack of fixed hunting seasons as a “puerile” tactic by the government.
“The unnecessary ban on afternoon hunting in September was never endorsed by the Ornis Committee in its annual recommendations. The government simply ignores Ornis and bows to the demands of BirdLife and the German-based CABS, both of whom want to usurp the Maltese countryside for their extremist ends.”
The criticism comes on the back of the publication of the government’s hunting and trapping policy guidelines, which banned autumn trapping and dismissed the possibility of any derogations being issued for the trapping of quail or turtle doves.
According to the FKNK, the policy guidelines make it clear it is the government’s intention never to permit trapping for the quail and the turtle dove, to always impose the September afternoon ban, to never allow hunting in May and that it was planning further restrictions on Sundays, public holidays and even during school holidays.
Having sent a detailed critique of these guidelines to the government, the opposition and the Ornis Committee, the FKNK was now “constrained to embark on a different course of action” and not “allow any government to remove what rightfully and legally belongs to the Maltese hunters and trappers”.
Popular Stories
Update 3: Woman found dead in car,...
Updated: Woman dies in car crash
Carm Mifsud Bonnici resigns after...
Part of Dwejra 'Azure window' collapses
The end of the bar that ‘never closed’
Bundy does not know whether to...
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
This WAS the night - Kurt makes it...
'No need for early election if PM's...
In Discussion
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
Gozo tunnel could take 5-7 years to...
CABS remote controlled aircraft shot...
Carm Mifsud Bonnici resigns after...
Joseph Calleja condemns portrayal of...
Updated: Labour would give...
CABS drone shot down
Second group of migrants arrives
Adrian Vassallo in scathing...
24 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Mr Victor Borg
Aug 31st 2011, 21:46
I don't know about the hunting ban in the afternoons, or when the season opens, but I know the following. On top of the ridge on the western flank of San Blas Valley in Gozo, there were hunters active yesterday (30 Aug) and today (31 Aug). A dozen shots were fired yesterday, and a handful were fired today, and one hunter today appeared at the top of the cliff, looking down to the sea below, where I was swimming - he had the gun proudly brandished on his shoulder, breaking the law with impunity, ready to shoot down protected species. And I alwasy wonder when I come across these cases: where are the police?
Mr Johnny Xerri
Sep 1st 2011, 20:50
very unbiased comment I would say!!!!
However, you forgot it was open season for rabbit hunting...
You assumed he is breaking the law without even knowing if he is licenced for rabbit shooting.
You assumed that he was ready to shot down protected species.
Well seeing you swim could I saw that you were ready to oggle a few ladies? Or maybe a few teens? Or even worst a few kids?
Could I saw that once at the beach you were ready to urinate in the sea?
Or maybe have a bbq and leave a mess behind?
No...I would not use your yard stick and believe you were swimming in good faith...I will leave the accussations to police who monitor hunting and other activities...I will also leave finger pointing to extremist fools.
Mr joseph lia
Aug 31st 2011, 09:58
It is ever so easy to blame the FKNK, the antis are the first bloggers to put pen to paper and vilify the Federation, showering adjectives ad hoc aimed (pun intended) at a large chunk of Maltese & Gozitan law-abiding citizens without really considering the facts.
Last month the EU DG Environment held a 2 day seminar in Cyprus (BLM where represented by a guest speaker) where all EU member states were invited to participate and address the poaching issue, ironically Malta did not even feature on the EU member states' poaching list! Some Black Spot we are!
FKNK has an impeccable record, ALL correspondence and scientific data FKNK publish entail months of hard work, zest and legal vetting. What FKNK does goes beyond the scope of personal gain or simply for any form of direct confrontation, yes maybe its PR is a bit rough at the edges, one has to keep in mind that the FKNK council are all volunteers and accomplish their duties out of their own precious time, unlike their European counterparts, who are gainfully employed in the subject matter.
FKNK trapper-members have paid their trapping licence for this season way back since February of this year, legally, therefore, they must be allowed to practice their custom and have a proper open season. Just as a car driver expects to drive a car based on this legal expectation. .
Mr Joseph Scicluna
Aug 30th 2011, 16:29
Good move, lets hope the government allows what the EU allows LEGALLY...such as finch trapping.
Wesley Dee
Aug 30th 2011, 16:18
I hope the detailed critique of the Government's guidelines was a little more articulate than the comments made in the press statement.
If there is one organisation that desperately needs good PR it is the FKNK, one would think that their leadership are secretly trying to turn all public opinion against the stalwart, law abiding, sporting gentlemen that bolster it's ranks.
Mr James Tyrrell
Aug 30th 2011, 13:50
As an outsider in this issue and an ex hunter it seems obvious to me that the FKNK has been its own worst enemy over the years. The sort of debates that are taking place now would never have happened if the FKNK had taken a firm hand with those members who continuously broke the rules by shooting outside season and shooting protected species etc. The same goes for the trapping issue. These illegal practices were allowed to continue with the FKNK blaming everything on poachers only for it to be discovered that most of the poachers had hunting licences.
Birdlife Malta and CABS wouldn't need to exist if such illegal practices were not going on so it's hardly right putting all the blame on them and absolutely ludicrous to describe them as extremists. Perhaps the time has come to forget about Birdlife Malta and CABS and the FKNK etc and put the matter to the Maltese people themselves. After all there has been a referendum on divorce so why not have a referendum on hunting and trapping. At least then we would have a clear indication of what the Maltese people themselves think about the matter.
Mr P Cardona
Aug 30th 2011, 14:34
Dear Mr Tyrrelll
Sorry to contradict you Sir, but you are basing your assumptions on BLM acclamations! Offenders are to be had everywhere, not just Malta! The few occurring in Malta being blown way out of all proportions by you guess who! Just in doing this, serves these same people to shove Euros by the million into their coffers!
Mr Anthony Formosa
Aug 30th 2011, 15:52
Mr Tyrrell, FKNK always condemned the shooting of protected species, however may I remind you that certain protected species of today were not protected until late 80's, further more certain species which are protected in Malta are not in main land Europe.
If FKNK is to be blamed for poaching, then who we should blame for the drugs circulating in the hands of our children, the customs, Police, Government? Who should we blame for the frequent road fatal accidents, TM, Government? Who should we blame for the jungle in places of entertainment? MTA, MHRA, Police Government? Should we also blame PN, PL, AD, MEPA, MFA, GWU, UHM, BLM, CABS, Developers etc etc................................... for corruption, mishandling, job losses, over developing, funds...
MOS which became Birdlife Malta is an NGO and the more noise they make the more funds they receive, currently they are receiving thousands of Euros from the government, and when it comes to habitat protection they are not seen anywhere.
Just to remind you that hunting and trapping were part of the package prior joining the EU, however a referendum is welcome if this includes getting Malta out of the EU.
http://www.meusac.gov.mt/Portals/FME/Documents/AGGSE13e_Hunting.pdf
Mr Charles Gauci
Aug 30th 2011, 15:53
@Mr. P Cardona
No Sir; Mr. Tyrrell is absolutely right. Unfortunately it is people like yourself who do not want to face reality that are the worst threat to your so-called hobby. We are still in the closed season and yet on Sunday (28 August) afternoon a moron fired five shots at a Marsh Harrier just outside Buskett. So this idio twas hunting birds outside the close season; wass hunting a protected species and was hunting on a Sunday afternoon (when hunting is always prohibited). Five other shots were heard from around Buskett on the same evening. Yesterday, at the same place, a Honey Buzzard was shot down and an Eleonora's Falcon and a Kestrel were shot at. All three species are protected birds of prey. Over twenty shots were heard around Buskett yesterday evening. And no, these are not isolated incidents. They are the order of the day. The sooner FKNK faces reality the better for FKNK itself and for the much larger section of the Maltese public who would like to enjoy the countryside without having to witness these barbaric acts.
PS: I know that the rabbit hunting season is still open.
Mr Anthony Formosa
Aug 30th 2011, 17:39
Mr Gauci You said it all, in close season, which makes this person a poacher and not a hunter, however your accusations are unfounded but one still cannot deny. Law abiding hunters will be very pleased if these are caught and brought to justice. Furthermore you have every right to enjoy bird sanctuaries and protected areas but hunters also have the right to enjoy public and moreover their private land. If you could recognize such birds very well, you could also have recognized the shooter and reported him.
Mr Charles Gauci
Aug 30th 2011, 20:36
@Mr. Formosa.
I never said that a hunter cannot enjoy his land. What I said it that the Maltese non-bird-killing community have every right to enjoy the Maltese countryside without seeing the barbaric acts Maltese poachers are reknowned for.
Will you please be kind enough to supply me with a photo of every bird shooter in the Maltese Islands so that if I see any irregularities and manage to see the perpetrator/s I shall report the culprit?
Also will you be kind enough to let the general public know how many irregularities (such as the ones I referred to in my previous contribution) FKNK or its law-abiding members have reported to the police? Probably none because most self-labelled law-abiding hunters commenting here do not usually acknowledge that such occurrences are common. That is precisely why I said that Mr. James Tyrrell was right in his appraisal of FKNK's situation.
Mr Johnny Xerri
Aug 30th 2011, 21:08
Mr James Tyrrell,
As an ex-hunter can you hand on heart vouch that in your country no illegal hunting goes on?
Illegal hunting occurs in each and every country, and every country is riddled with these poachers who for some reason or other target protected birds.
In some countries they target them because they are a detriment to released game species, such as raptors in the UK.
Other countries may hunt them because they have nothing else to shoot at.
In other countries they target them for collections.
However, in no country was the opening of a season jeopardised because of these incidents.
In no country is the hunting federation blamed.
Should we use your yard stick, we would blame FIFA or the English football association for hooliganism.
We could also blame the whole Catholic as being peodophiles.
We could blame all entertainment establishments for drug use.
Blaming someone is easy...it is much more convenient for government to blame he ban on hunting on poachers...then for the same government to blame itself for not honouring the pre referendum manifesto.
As for having a referendum on hunting...well bring it on...but then should we not also have a retake of the referendum on the EU since one of the 'special arrangements' was that hunting would remain after entry in the EU?
I for one voted YES for the EU since hunting was also included in the package...but if it is removed, then I will surely vote no...
Steve Zammit
Aug 30th 2011, 23:22
Yes he is a poacher. Do you seriously think that when the season opens he wouldn't be out hunting? then what shall we call him? A hunter. As soon as he shoots a protected bird, he turns back into a poacher and so on. Stop playing with words.
Re: ''you could also have recognized the shooter and reported him.''
Anthony better said then done
Has it come to your mind, that possibly the bird was flying in the sky and while with a telescope one can identify the bird from anywhere, one not always manages to get a good view of the area were the hunter was? And just for correction sake, there were at least 3 hunters out shooting as the shots came from different areas
ALE don't patrol the area right now. A few protected birds are always gunned down in the first week of September due to the lack of enforcement. Imnalla ma jigux hafna tajr fl-ewwel gimgha ghax kieku HERBA jaghmlu !
Yes closed season, and already there are idiots roaming the countryside with their guns targeting protected birds. Let alone what they could do, when the season is open and they can roam freely using the open season as a loophole. Simple as that
Mr Lawrence Fenech
Aug 30th 2011, 09:42
That's right shoot the policy down.
Mr Patrick Zammit
Aug 30th 2011, 09:35
The Turtle Dove, which hunters and trappers want to target, is showing an alarming decline. Between 1995 and 2010, it has declined by 74% in GB.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2027686/Disappearing-fast-birds-soundtrack-summer.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1382189/Symbol-love-peace-silenced-turtle-dove-vanishes-skies.html
Mr Anthony Formosa
Aug 30th 2011, 11:30
Mr Zammit, Please have a look at this before you show us what the dailymail had to say. What is happening in the UK does not reflect the whole world. Domestic cats and changing of habitat forced the turtle dove to move to other locations.
Clayton Borg
Aug 30th 2011, 11:36
Can you enlighten us why there was that decline? If you don't know the asnwer here it is.....
Its all in the name of progress and agriculture. There are not enough trees where to breed. So the doves went to breed else where and not in the UK.
Mr Patrick Zammit
Aug 30th 2011, 12:28
According to the articles I quoted, poaching is one of the factors contributing to the decline. And this decline is not restricted to GB but to mainland Europe as well.
Wikipedia:
"According to the State of Europe's Common Birds 2007 report, the European Turtle Dove population in Europe has fallen by 62% in recent times.[1] This is partly because changed farming practices mean that the weed seeds and shoots on which it feeds, especially Fumitory, are more scarce, and partly due to shooting of birds in Mediterranean countries during their migration."
So any responsible Govt (not one looking for votes) would be perfectly in order when legislating to protect everybody's natural heritage.
Steve Zammit
Aug 30th 2011, 23:03
You are right Patrick ! Turtle doves are declining irrelevant of what the above say
Clayton Borg
Aug 30th 2011, 09:25
Well done FKNK. This government wants to destroy us slowly. Keep up the good work. Maybe GonziPN will go back in time when he wrote that letter and sent it to us, with all the FALSE PROMISES so he gain votes which unfortunately he did that time....
Now we will see who laugh last.... when the next General Election comes.