An agreement signed by then prime minister Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici in April 1986 gave hunters exclusivity over public land in Miżieb and l-Aħrax tal-Mellieħa, a court heard yesterday.
The areas are out of bounds for the public in the open season as they were designated “hunting reserves”, the hunters’ federation’s chief executive officer, Lino Farrugia, told Magistrate Charmaine Galea.
He was testifying at the arraignment of Birdlife activist Nimrod Mifsud, from Gżira, who accompanied BBC journalist Chris Packham to Miżieb last April 25. Mr Mifsud stands charged with trespassing and exercising a pretended right.
Mr Farrugia said there were signs on site pointing out that the area was out of bounds for the public in the open season and that the land was reserved exclusively for hunters.
By virtue of the 1986 agreement, he said, the public land in question was given to the hunters’ federation (FKNK) to “administer”. The agreement also stipulated that no one was allowed to enter, unless authorised and unless he or she was a hunter.
These were there to damage our members
He said the agreement was confirmed in October 1989 through “an endorsement” by the late Guido de Marco, then deputy prime minister. Dr Mifsud Bonnici wrote to the FKNK in May 2010 confirming the agreement. In February 2011, Birdlife wrote to the Government Property Division (GPD) complaining that the site in question was public land and ought to be accessible to everyone. However, according to him, the GPD wrote back quoting the 1986 agreement, saying the land in question was designated by the government as a hunting reserve and restricted only to people performing hunting activities.
When asked, Mr Farrugia said a similar agreement had also been struck with Birdlife, which was given two nature reserves that were fenced and inaccessible to the public even though they were also on public land.
Two hunters, Kenneth Sciberras and Robert Booker, told the court that, on the day in question, Mr Mifsud entered the site with Mr Packham and other foreigners. There were five people in all but only Mr Mifsud was charged because, according to the hunters, “he was the only Maltese national there”.
Mr Booker said the people were filming the hunters and “these were there to damage our members”.
The case continues.
Lawyer Stephen Tonna Lowell appeared for Mr Mifsud. Lawyer Kathleen Grima appeared parte civile for FKNK.