Hunters and trappers are set to save nearly €652,500 over five years under the new licensing system, figures by the hunting federation have revealed.

In a note to hunters, the federation, FKNK, gave a breakdown of how the 12,500 registered hunters and trappers will be affected by the new regime in which they only need to renew their licences every five years, as opposed to annually.

The federation said the new fees will lead to significant savings for their members.

Among the several types of licences issued, a five-year licence to hunt wild rabbits with nets, for example, now costs €25, down from the €100 that used to be paid over the same period. A licence to hunt or trap birds now costs €50 every five years, half the cost under the previous system.

This means registered hunters and trappers will see savings of between €25 and €100 for each licence over the five years.

A total of 7,511 hunters and trappers will save €375,550 between them on the bird hunting and trapping licences alone. Another 1,755 will not see any change to the amounts they currently pay.

Hunters and trappers will see savings of between €25 and €100 for each licence over the five years

The new five-year window was announced by the government last week, drawing the ire of conservationists, who claimed the decision implied the intention to retain the same hunting and trapping practices currently in force.

The announcement was made despite Malta facing the European Court of Justice following the government’s re­introduction of trapping, which is in breach of the Birds Directive.

In announcing the new, cheaper fees, Animal Rights Parliamentary Secretary Roderick Galdes said they were part of the government’s commitment to reduce bureaucracy and improve enforcement.

Asked why the government had decided to review the licensing system, Mr Galdes said that the old licence was simply a receipt against payment which was inserted in the carnet de chasse, the hunters’ reporting booklet.

In the old carnet de chasse system, hunters were obliged to record hunting days even when no catches were made.

Although the statistic is useful for authorities to report on hunting seasons and derogations, it will no longer be collected.

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