Environmentalists and hunters have agreed to join forces to ensure swans resting in Gozo are appropriately fed.
BirdLife Malta, the Federation for Hunting and Conservation and St Hubert's Hunters (KSU) have agreed to manage a feeding protocol established by veterinarian Euridiyke Kovacs. The feeding will be reduced after a while to encourage the swans to continue migrating.
Much of the swans' food will be provided by Good Earth Distributors, who have agreed to sponsor the event at the FKNK's request. The feeding will be reduced after a while to encourage the swans to continue migrating.
A bevy of 12 mute swans descended on Gozo at the turn of the year and remain in Marsalforn Valley. Swans are a rare sight in Malta and the bevy is believed to have migrated further south than usual due to uncharacteristically cold weather.
BirdLife Malta CEO Mark Sultana said that while hunting and environmental organisations were usually at loggerheads, "we have to realise that
there are a number of issues which we agree upon".
KSU president Mark Mifsud Bonnici welcomed BirdLife Malta's "change in mentality" and hoped that there would be the opportunity to cooperate further in the future.
FKNK CEO Lino Farrugia urged anyone visiting the swans to be sure to not disturb their habitat or surrounding fields.