The hunter’s main lobby group, the FKNK, yesterday strongly denied its president had told The Sunday Times that the Labour Party had promised amendments to hunting legislation, including an increase in the number of birds that can be shot.
The Times is here publishing a transcript of the relevant parts of the interview with Joe Perici Calascione.
In a statement signed by its secretary general Lino Farrugia, the FKNK said its president never said the Labour Party had confirmed that their proposed changes were possible.
It denied that the lobby group has requested a revision of hunting and trapping regulations “with any emphasis on a tenfold increase in the bag limit”. FKNK said that to try to wrap facts and statements to make them sound blatantly in favour of one political party or another was not really sound journalism.
“In view of the implications of various incorrect and untrue statements in this article, the FKNK will be seeking legal advice in order to safeguard its interests and those of its members,” it warned.
The Sunday Times had reported Mr Perici Calascione saying a Labour Party technical committee had confirmed that proposals put forward by hunters, including an increase in the national bag limit, were possible and would be considered by a Labour government.
Although both the FKNK and Labour refused to divulge any names of the members of this technical committee, The Sunday Times revealed that it is headed by the party’s president Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi and includes former deputy leader Michael Falzon, himself an avid hunter.
Transcript of interview with Joe Perici Calascione
The Times (TT): How many birds would you like the revised framework legislation to include?
Joe Perici Calascione (JPC): We are talking of 120,000 quails and 79,000 turtle doves. We are however also ready to negotiate so that we can reach an agreement because I believe that the (European) Commission would not like to go to the maximum possible and so we can, together with the technical people from the Government’s side, come to a conclusion and if needs be negotiate.
TT: What is Labour’s feedback on your proposals?
JPC: We have spoken to the technical people from the Labour Party and they basically agree with our figures. However, we still don’t have anything official as a political direction. As soon as we have something official we will advise all our members how things stand.
TT: So has Labour not yet promised anything?
JPC: No, these are not things that one can promise. But if they agree that they can give us something better than we have now, they will try to give it to us as there are obviously many people involved.
TT: And Labour’s technical people told you this is possible?
JPC: Yes, and with the documents we gave them, some of which they are still looking at... with the documents we gave them, which are basically almost the same as those we gave the Government because we don’t have anything to hide, it looks like we have a consensus to move forward. But again I am not speaking about the political aspect of this decision but the technical aspect.
TT: And who are these technical people?
JPC: I can’t give you names as this committee has been meeting for years. It is not a question of this committee having just been established. We keep a rapport with both political parties and so we wouldn’t like to give names. If they want to give you names we have no problem with that.
TT: Is Michael Falzon one of these technical people involved?
JPC: Maybe, yes.