The hunters’ group Kaċċaturi San Ubertu (KSU) has accused BirdLife of “deceitful and puerile propaganda” over the disappearance of an entire flock of 18 storks within weeks of their arrival in Malta.
In a statement, KSU condemned the “criminal” killings, which, it said, harmed not only the birds and the environment but also the country and Maltese hunters.
The group went on to attack BirdLife and Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) activists for “using these incidents to disgrace Malta and all its hunters with exaggerated and baseless conclusions for ulterior objectives, not least financial”.
“The disappearance of any bird is also attributed to the fact that it has wings to fly and migrate and not necessarily shot, as BLM allege to their advantage,” the hunters’ group said.
The flock of 18 protected storks arrived on August 10 and was targeted by poachers just a few hours later, with three storks shot the same day – over which a poacher has been arraigned – and two more in the days that followed.
The criminal poacher prefers that no hunters are around
Two weeks later, the last remaining stork – which the authorities had planned to relocate to Germany for its safety – was presumed dead after not being seen in days. CABS has offered €5,000 for information leading to the conviction of those responsible.
The hunters’ group said BirdLife and CABS were aware that hunters were against illegal killing and that the shootings were likely to have had a financial scope.
The group also rejected BirdLife’s suggestion – which it called “vindictive” – to postpone the autumn hunting season that opened on Saturday, until October 15 to protect migratory birds.
The group said the storks had been killed during a closed season, adding: “The criminal poacher prefers that no hunters are around.”
On Saturday, BirdLife and the other major hunters’ lobby, FKNK, got engaged in a war of words over the setting-up of a Wildlife Crime Unit, which BirdLife said had been unanimously voted for by the Ornis Committee, including representatives of the hunters federation.
The FKNK denied that there had been unanimity or that it had supported the new unit, which it said would replicate and undermine the work of the administrative law enforcement police unit.
It accused BirdLife of supporting the unit with the aim of forming part of it “to spy on hunters and trappers”.
BirdLife insist the hunters’ federation had supported the measure and said the “U-turn” was due to angry complaints from its members. It said the lobby had lost control and was being led by a section opposed to improved enforcement.