Gaia Foundation welcomed the temporary closure of the hunting season following serious cases of poaching and slaughter of highly protected species.

In a statement, it said the hunters' judicial protest claiming damages against the government was just a lot of hot air that showed that the hunting community still failed to understand that hunting was not a right but a concession given through a licence, and that hunting seasons could always be reduced or closed at the government's discretion. 

With regard to the FKNK's claim that such action amounted to collective punishment, Gaia stated that a concession had to be earned by the hunting community, and not taken for granted.

While criminal poachers constituted a minority, law abiding hunters also needed to shoulder responsibility and report any and all poaching without delay. Failure to do so could only indicate that they were condoning such crimes.

The hunting community could not expect the entire police force and army to be mobilised to police hunting and poaching while the thousands of hunters looked on and assist one another by reporting all police movements on their radios. 

Gaia welcomed the police decision to take action against the illegal protest and condemned the acts of violence carried out against bird watchers at Buskett, and called upon the authorities to leave no stone unturned to bring those responsible to justice.