Hunters tell BirdLife they don’t need their help to protect Gozo swans

Accusing BirdLife of a lack of sincere cooperation, the Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FKNK) politely turned down an offer to organise a coordinated effort to protect 12 mute swans currently sheltering in Marsalforn Valley in Gozo.

“The FKNK cannot forget BLM's lack of sincere cooperation of long years standing, even of recent past, despite great efforts that the FKNK has always made to reach some form of reconciliation,” the hunters said in a statement.

This follows BirdLife Malta’s offer to the hunters’ federation to join forces to protect the birds and to “put the past behind them”.

But FKNK were having none of it and said that its members have been caring after the birds ever since their arrival in Gozo, “before the birds' presence was even known to others.”

“Therefore, the FKNK volunteers, on their own and/or in the company of anyone else, are willing to continue to feed to the swans, in the best interest of both the birds and the conservation of the natural environment.”