The hunting federation wants to silence two Attard councillors after they posted anti-spring hunting views on the council’s official Facebook page.
FKNK lodged what it described as “a strong protest” with Parliamentary Secretary Jose Herrera last Wednesday, calling for action to be taken against Attard deputy mayor Marco Spiteri from the Nationalist Party and Alternattiva Demokratika councillor Ralph Cassar.
Dr Herrera was responsible for local councils but lost the portfolio after last year’s reshuffle. Both councillors have said they will not be intimidated by the undemocratic antics of the hunting federation, insisting they had the right to inform their constituents of how they will vote in the referendum.
In an e-mail that was also copied to the Local Government Department, the Attard council and the Local Councils Association, FKNK CEO Lino Farrugia claimed the councillors acted “unethically, if not also illegally”.
The development came in the second week of the referendum campaign that has until now unfolded over the social media, most notably Facebook.
But while the FKNK has not yet said whether it will be boycotting the referendum, the anti-spring hunting lobby, SHout, yesterday unveiled the names of three more ambassadors for its No campaign.
In another development, Birdlife reported the overnight disappearance of two greater flamingos from the Għadira nature reserve.
The conservation group said it reported the matter to the police after rangers noted the absence of the two birds, which had been resident at the park since September.
Birdlife said rangers carried out a routine inspection of the reserve to ascertain the flamingos’ whereabouts and found signs of forced entry, including trampled vegetation, foot marks leading up to a raised fence and a three-metre wooden plank.
Nature Reserves Manager Mark Gauci said it was highly unlikely the two “inexperienced” flamingos that were rescued last year chose “a stormy windy night to venture out at sea or migrate”.
Birdlife Malta has appealed for anyone with information on the flamingos’ whereabouts or about the Għadira incident to contact the police.