Coalition not against hunting at Miżieb, l-Aħrax but lands must not be administered by FKNK

Hunting should not be abolished from l-Aħrax and Miżieb but the areas must not be administered by the hunting lobby, a coalition of NGOs is proposing.

Spazji Miftuħa is against the transfer of the two tracts of land, equivalent to the size of 230 football pitches, to the hunting organisation FKNK.

The coalition of NGOs was set up in the wake of a proposal floated by Prime Minister Robert Abela for the formal transfer of the two lands to the FKNK.

The hunting organisation claims it acquired the right to administer the two wooded areas on the strength of a commitment made by former prime minister Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici in 1986. But no formal agreement with government has ever existed with the Lands Authority, recently confirming that there is no lease or concession agreement with the FKNK for the running of the two public areas.

Spazji Miftuħa have told the Prime Minister in an open letter published on Friday that the FKNK has been administering the lands illegally, leading to unlawful acts such as the erection of buildings without Planning Authority permits.

“These areas are veritable meccas of illegalities because the FKNK do not have control of their own members… We are not asking for hunting to be abolished from these areas. We are asking government to invest in these areas for the benefit of all Maltese citizens,” the coalition said.

Spazji Miftuħa want the areas in question to remain accessible to the public at all times.

“Even today, despite the lack of appropriate legal framework, people are not allowed to enter during the hunting season. The general public has many times, found it hard to defend its own rights once they are stopped by members of a private lobby,” the coalition said, calling on enforcement to be improved.

Spazji Miftuħa said site wardens should be employed to educate, engage and enforce regulations of each zone.

Rebutting the FKNK’s justification that it should operate the lands on the basis of similar management agreements between government and other NGOs, Spazji Miftuħa argued this did not give the hunting lobby group the right to manage the land.

“FKNK is an entity based on the interest of its own members. Unlike NGOs forming part of this coalition,” the NGOs said.

Claims that the federation has been cleaning the area for a number of years, does not justify their management of it.

The coalition has garnered the support of over 15,500 individuals, and 60 formal and informal organisations. It also has a survey showing that the public disagree with handing over of these two sites to hunters.

Spazji Miftuħa held a meeting with the Prime Minister and Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia on Thursday.

Both politicians agreed that these sites should be open to the general public all year round, at all times.