[WATCH] Hunters were in negotiation with government on legal changes for fixed season

Hunters' lobby FKNK today declared they were in negotiations with the environment minister on legal changes to Malta's hunting laws, "up until a few days ago".

FKNK secretary-general Lino Farrugia and president Joe Perici Calascione told the press that the lobby was expected a legal notice to be published in the last days of the election campaign, that would have dealt with translation ambiguities on the Birds Directive as transposed into Maltese law; as well as the introduction of a fixed hunting season in autumn.

"We were informed by the environment ministry that the legal notice could not be published yet due to a problem with the fixed season. We have no idea whether it was going to be published or not."

Asked if the legal notice was definitively shelved or not, Perici Calascione said: "Your guess is as good as mine."

He refused to describe a memorandum of understanding with the Labour Party signed last week as an 'agreement', saying the memo comprised the conclusions of negotiations held over two years.

Apart from its negotiations with Labour, the FKNK held discussions with the Office of the Prime Minister and the environment ministry, "however, never with the Nationalist Party," a fiery Lino Farrugia noted.

He also noted that despite PN deputy leader Simon Busuttil's drive to meet with civil society over the last year, the PN refused t set up a meeting with what Farrugia described as the "largest NGO in Malta."

Both Farrugia and Perici Calascione explained that despite coming to similar agreements with former PN administrations, the PN never fulfilled its pledges that hunters would not lose any of their rights.

Quizzed why the hunters' lobby was confident that Labour's agreement would hold, Perici Calascione said:

"In 1996, we had an agreement with the Alfred Sant government which was fulfilled within one month of Labour being elected. Subsequent agreements with the PN were never respected. We trust Labour because they have already kept their promise."

An animated FKNK president vented his anger at a Nationalist Party advert in newspapers taking a dig at the agreement the hunters reached with Labour.

Perici Calsione said that the PN had adopted a completely different attitude when it was in opposition in 1998 and went on to explain that Lawrence Gonzi, who back then was secretary-general of the PN had signed an agreement, which the PN government never respected.

Asked what the Labour agreement will mean in tangible terms, Perici Calascione said that the €50 special license for spring hunting will be abolished as would the requirement for hunters to wear armbands, which Farrugia likened to the yellow badge imposed on Jews by Nazis, only to be quickly rebuked by Perici Calsione.

FKNK also pointed out that individual bag limits have to be changed since "current limits adopted by the Maltese government are ridiculously low." "

Moreover Perici Calscione added that FKN is demanding that hunting times and curfews are removed completely, although this was subject to discussion with a new Labour government.

Perici Calsione added that the agreement with Labour will also mean that  trapping of European finches (għasafar tal- għana) is to be allowed in autumn but definitely not in spring. A limited derogation must be applied for this to happen.

Asked how FKNK would react if enough signatures are collected to request an abrogative referendum on spring hunting, Perici Calsione said: "It would be morally and ethically incorrect, because the Maltese people already voted in a referendum on hunting when Malta held the EU membership referendum in 2003."

While acknowledging that hunters must work in a framework of EU regulations, directives and derogations Farrugia said that these must be applied correctly.

FKNO also hit out at BirdLife Malta, Nature Trust Malta and Gaia Foundation, who Perici Calascione said received thousands of euros from the government while FKNK never received anything for conservation, despite having 10,000 members.

"If BirdLife are given more power and more money, if foreigners continue interfering and if Maltese representatives in Brussels maintain a servile attitude, than trapping will be abolished altogether, the spring hunting derogation will not be applied correctly and consequently abolished, hunting will only be allowed in October, November and December while hunting will not be allowed on Sundays, public holidays and school holidays."

Perici Calsione added that hunters also fear that hunting would not be allowed after 10am and the distance from habited places would increase to 500 metres from 200 metres.

Earlier today, environmental NGOs BirdLife Malta, Din l-Art Helwa, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar (FAA), Friends of the Earth Malta, Gaia Foundation, Greenhouse Malta and Nature Trust today issued a joint statement highlighting their concerns over the recent agreement between the PL and FKNK on hunting and trapping on the Maltese Islands. Statement follows.

READ MORE BirdLife appalled at Labour agreement with hunters

"We are deeply concerned about both the underlying process that has led to an agreement between the PL and FKNK as well as its content.  Recent statements from both PL and FKNK indicate that the agreement is the result of two years of private negotiations between the political party and the hunting lobby," the organisations said in a statement.