The Federation for Hunting & Conservation - Malta (FKNK) has claimed that the legal notice on the autumn hunting and trapping season was 'dictated' to the government by BirdLife (Malta).

In a statement issued late yesterday, the federation said the legal notice announcing the dates "reflects exactly Birdlife (Malta) requests and contention at the last Ornis Committee - Malta meeting when they were outvoted. They obviously knew that they could rely on the Nationalist government to save the day on their behalf. This time around this is being directed towards the traditional socio-cultural Maltese passion of trapping, and as always the information given is full of lies," the federation said.

"The illegal hunting excuse has now lost all validity. The Malta Ornis Committee is a joke. The restrictions and abolitions being imposed are not EU regulations, however local vindictive measures by a Maltese Nationalist government acting on BirdLife (Malta) instructions against its Maltese citizens."

The federation said it would resist these provocations and measures with anything within its power.

The government announced yesterday that bird hunting from land will be allowed between September 1 and January 31, 2009. Hunting on Sundays and public holidays will only be allowed up to 1p.m.

However, in order to protect bird of prey, between September 15 and September 30 hunting from land will not be allowed between 3p.m. and two hours before dusk.

Hunting from boats will be allowed from October 1 to January 31, 2009.

Trapping of song birds can take place between October 1 and December 31.Trapping for turtle dove and quail will take place between September 1 and October 30 and trapping for golden plover and song thrush between October 20 and December 31.