Hunters say they could take legal action for ‘unfounded’ criminal complaint by BirdLife

The hunting lobby has claimed it will take legal action against BirdLife for making an “unfounded” criminal complaint, which was dismissed by the police.

On Thursday, the police said they would not be taking further steps after analysing a criminal complaint filed by BirdLife the previous day over the alleged illegality of spring hunting licenses issued this year

The Federazzjoni Kaċċaturi Nassaba Konservazzjonisti (FKNK) said it welcomed the Police Commissioner’s decision in this regard with “approval and satisfaction”.

FKNK said it could not but comment on the fact that BirdLife’s criminal report was “a dangerous move” by which the NGO was requesting the police to arraign all hunters in court, where they could have faced fines of up to €10,000 and/or a prison sentence.

“This [criminal complaint] was filed despite all hunting licenses for this spring season having been issued legally and according to the regulations,” the hunting lobby said.

The FKNK noted that BirdLife’s aim was not to fight illegalities but was an attempt to get all hunters criminally prosecuted. “In the FKNK’s view, this is nothing but concrete proof of the lack of credibility of BLM, which were ready to file an unfounded report and to advertise this nationally, if not on an international level.”

The FKNK went on to say that, although the police had said there were no grounds for criminal proceedings against hunters, it would be taking legal action against BirdLife, and could ask the Police Commissioner to investigate the criminal complaint filed by the NGO on the suspicion that it was a false report.

It added that it would defend its members against BirdLife’s “dangerous and malicious” behaviour, underlining that the NGO had no qualms about filing a criminal complaint accusing 6,000 hunters of a crime, all the while knowing that such persons were innocent.