The Malta Falconers Club was honoured by the Prince Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of St John of Jerusalem, Don Basilio Cali of San Lorenzo, in the presence of dignitaries, club committee members and guests.
The strong ties of falconry in Malta are connected to the Knights’ Order of St John, falconry being one of the oldest hunting practices still performed today, as has been done for the past 4,000 years.
Every year, on the second day of November, a peregrine falcon used to be donated to King Charles V as part payment for the Maltese Islands’ tenancy. Falconry was one of the Knights’ primary recreational practices and, at the time, only the Grand Falconer could grant rights to hunt with falcons on the Maltese Islands.
Guests at the event included a delegation from the Order of St John of Jerusalem; officials from the Wild Birds Regulation Unit, which has helped significantly to regulate the practice of falconry in Malta, to the extent that today international falconers regard Malta’s respective framework legislation as one of the best in Europe; and the vice president of the Federation for Hunting and Conservation – Malta (FKNK), since the Malta Falconers Club is an affiliate member.