The hunters' association Kaccaturi San Umbertu this afternoon accused Birdlife of causing unnecessary suffering to birds and using injured birds to sensationalise illegal hunting.
"The use of injured birds for propaganda purposes is deplorable and causes unnecessary suffering to birds already under trauma," the association said.
"Kaccaturi San Ubertu (KSU) condemn the persistent exploitation of such birds by Birdlife Malta as a means to sensationalize illegal hunting."
The association said it was an indisputable fact, confirmed publicly by the authorities, the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) and independent ornithologists, that the vile persecution of protected birds was well under control 'and practically eradicated'.
"Maltese law punishes hunters severely for any transgress yet the authorities infallibly close an eye when Birdlife activists hold public protests with injured protected birds on the steps of Castille or when group photos of injured birds are presented to the media.
"The law specifically states no one is allowed to handle or euthanize protected birds unless authorized to do so. Over the past years Birdlife unilaterally and without authorization euthanized hundreds of birds, most of which could have otherwise been rehabilitated, used for species reintroduction purposes, education or scientific research" the hunters said.
"In view of the fact that Birdlife Malta purport to be the authority to handle or euthanize protected birds KSU call on Birdlife Malta to publicly publish such authorization in order to substantiate their claims."
The association said it considered the exploitation of protected birds whether by so called hunters or those opposing hunting as an equal offence and call on the authorities to apply the law without any favoritism.
Last week Birdlife Malta said today that e-mails sent to it by the head of the Wild Birds Regulation Unit amounted to intimidation and "an apparent attempt to silence the organisation from exposing the impact of illegal hunting".
In an e-mail exchange regarding photos of shot protected birds published by Birdlife Malta, Sergei Golovkin told the NGO: “it does not appear to be the case that Birdlife has any authorisation to possess, control or keep any specimen of any bird, whether alive or dead, nor to kill any live birds by performing euthanasia on veterinary grounds. Kindly be guided by the above legal provisions accordingly.”