The hunters' federation (FKNK) in a statement today poured scorn on a legal notice which extends the list of birds which may be hunted in Malta, pointing out that the birds were never recorded in Malta.

The list now features Canada Goose, Red Grouse, Irish sub-species of the Red Grouse, Rock Partridge, Rock Ptarmigan, Red-legged Partridge, Grey Partridge, Common Pheasant and Rock Pigeon.

"All the nine species added on the Maltese 'huntable' schedule are alien to Malta, most non-migratory and introduced by man. None have ever been recorded as naturally occurring in the wild in Malta through migration. We do not even have Maltese names for them!" the FKNK said.

It added that while it believed that these additions showed ignorance in the subject matter, it understood that the species had been added because of Romania and Bulgaria's EU membership. Nonetheless they should never have been added on the Maltese schedule.

"The addition of these 9 species will bring up the figure of huntable species on the Maltese schedule to 41. This figure, in the eyes of whoever knows nothing in terms of hunting in Malta would imply that Maltese hunters are blessed with 41 species to hunt. The reality is that besides this useless addition of nine species, 16 others are water birds, mostly ducks, which rarely venture inland due to unsuitable habitat, while species such as the woodpigeon, ruff, woodcock, all thrush (except for the song-thrush), snipe, plover and other species, are termed as occurring from irregular to rare. In reality the only "numerous" huntable species are the quail, turtle dove, song-thrush and skylark."