Hunting lobby still discussing fate of CEO Lino Farrugia after Ornis assault

FKNK chief executive Lino Farrugia has not tendered his resignation after an argument inside Ornis led to an assault of WBRU head Richard Lia

FKNK CEO Lino Farrugia (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)
FKNK CEO Lino Farrugia (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)

Malta’s hunting lobby president Lucas Micallef said the FKNK is still discussing the fate of its chief executive officer, Lino Farrugia, after his assault of a government regulator official during a meeting.

Farrugia assaulted the Wild Birds Regulation Unit’s head Richard Lia in an argument during the Ornis Committee meeting discussing legal amendments to hunting and trapping laws.

Since then, Farrugia has suspended himself from the Ornis Committee, a consultative body that also includes BirdLife Malta.

“We are still talking about this, internally,” Micallef told MaltaToday at a World Bird Migration Day event in Mellieha, where the FKNK released 400 turtle-dove in the wild.

It is understood that Farrugia has not tendered his resignation as CEO of the FKNK. “We are still discussing the matter internally,” Micallef said when asked whether Farrugia, a former FKNK president, will be making way for someone new.

“We have made our apology to Richard Lia, who also said he looks forward to keep working and not let this incident cloud the work we do. We are all humans after all,” Micallef said.

The FKNK release over 400 captive-bred turtle doves into the wild, 14 May 2022
The FKNK release over 400 captive-bred turtle doves into the wild, 14 May 2022

The EU bans the hunting of the migratory turtle dove in the spring, a species that is globally endangered, but Malta is allowed to derogated from the Birds Directive under strict conditions.

Since the launch of its project ‘Turtle Dove Captive-breeding and Release into the Wild’ back in 2017, the FKNK has released hundreds of turtle doves annually into the wild. These specimens are bred in captivity and released into the wild during the bird migration period whilst the hunting season is closed.
 
The released birds eventually migrate to other countries, as was scientifically proven by use of satellite transmitters in 2021 where one Turtle dove successfully migrated to Bulgaria. These satellite transmitters were financed by the Responsible Gaming Foundation (RGF). The FKNK thanked economy minister Silvio Schembri, also a hunter, for his assistance in obtaining the RGF finance.
 
“Later this year, more turtle dove specimens equipped with satellite transmitters will be released. This is a very important effort that Malta, as a Member State can use to contribute towards the conservation of the turtle dove and can also serve as a compensatory measure for mortality in the wild,” Micallef said