The Federation for Hunting & Conservation (FKNK) said this evening that it had accepted Edwin Vella’s membership resignation following his conviction in court regarding illegalities connected with hunting.

He was convicted of carrying a shotgun in a nature reserve, fined €1,000, had his licence suspended for a year and had his gun confiscated.

The FKNK’s Disciplinary Board was in the process of deciding about disciplinary measures that should have been imposed on Mr Vella, however his resignation has superseded any decision and the board was satisfied that no further disciplinary measures were to be imposed, the FKNK said.

Mr Vella was a member on one of the 26 district committees within the FKNK. He had already resigned from his position on the committee prior to his resignation from FKNK membership. 

The federation said Mr Vella had legally shot a turtle dove on perfectly legal hunting ground. The bird fell six meters over the border of the extensive nature reserve next to his hunting ground. It said the fact that the shot was fired outside the reserve was also confirmed in Ray Vella’s (BirdLife Malta Reserve Ranger) report filed with the police.

Mr Vella retrieved the bird whilst still carrying his gun (unloaded) for fear of leaving the gun ‘unattended’ which would have been also another illegal act.

"One must also highlight that on site there are no signs to indicate the reserve boundaries. Mr. Vella has unintentionally conducted illegal acts, however ethically he acted as any decent hunter would have. He didn’t let a dead game bird go to waste," the federation said.