Hunters want government to publish land agreements with all organisations

FKNK has no objection to have the management agreements for Miżieb and Aħrax reserves published, as long as all similar agreements with environmental groups are also made public by the government

29 April 2020, 2:17pm
by Matthew Agius

2 min read

The Aħrax reserve is Mellieħa is administered by the FKNK (Photo: FKNK/Facebook)

Hunting organisation FKNK says it has "no objection" to have the management agreements it has over the Miżieb and Aħrax reserves to be published but only if the government does the same with similar agreements that other NGOs have.

FKNK was replying to calls by environmental organisations for the publishing of its agreement with the government over the management of the Miżieb woodland and the Aħrax reserve in Mellieħa. Both are designated bird hunting grounds.

FKNK said it likewise expected the government to publish “any other agreement that it has with every one of the NGOs, including the financial package given by the government to every NGO for the administration of every particular zone”.

Among the areas specified by the FKNK are the Park tal-Majjistral, the Wied Għollieqa nature reserve, the Il-Ballut reserve, and the Xrobb L-Għaġin park.

The federation said it also wanted details of financial grants given to BirdLife for administrating the Foresta 2000 reserve in Mellieħa, the Għadira nature reserve and others at Simar and Salini.

It pointed out that the Miżieb and Aħrax areas had been administered by the FKNK on a voluntary basis since 1986.

FKNK members have regularly tidy up the area after use by the general public for picnics and barbeques, and carry out pruning of trees and the planting of “thousands and thousands of plants, trees and bushes.” The organisation said it also maintained rubble walls in the areas.

“These reserves are open for free public access during the majority of the year, as stipulated in the agreement... and not locked up as in the areas administered by BirdLife,” FKNK said.

The hunters group said it was “the largest NGO in Maltese civil society,” boasting that it had more adult members than all the environmental NGOs put together.

It denounced the NGOs latest actions as a publicity stunt to draw public attention away from the “false, dangerous and malicious” criminal complaint BirdLife had filed against over 6,000 hunters, claiming that the special spring hunting licence was issued illegally. The police have dismissed BirdLife's claim.

“The veil BLM had been hiding behind behind has fallen and revealed the hatred they have for hunters and trappers on a personal basis,” FKNK said.

The federation announced that it would be taking “all possible” legal steps against Darryl Grima and Mark Sultana, personally and in their capacity as representatives of BirdLife Malta following the vexatious police report.

Matthew Agius is Senior Reporter on Law and Court Affairs at MaltaToday. He is also a Leg...