Attard, Cutajar support hunting lobby chief’s call for 'fairer' penalties for illegal hunting

Government MPs Ramona Attard and Rosianne Cutajar have backed calls by the hunting lobby for fairer penalties for illegal hunting.

“There is a need for greater proportionality in the penalties related to hunting and trapping, especially in cases of a first offence. I look forward to a discussion in this area,” Attard said on her Facebook page.

Cutajar said she supports calls for legislation to be "more balanced". 

Earlier on Friday, hunting lobby chief Lucas Micallef said the Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FKNK) has always upheld the principle that laws must be respected, “and at no point can we attempt to defend illegal acts.”

“However, we must also recognise that penalties should be proportionate to the offence,” Micallef said. “Over the years, we’ve seen how certain offences – even those related to drugs – have been decriminalised, while in other cases, such as those related to hunting and trapping, penalties can reach extreme levels that are disproportionate to the severity of the offence.”

He said the FKNK had long made suggestions within the Ornis Committee for penalties to be fairer and more proportionate.

“Our aim is not to give a "carte blanche" for serious offences; on the contrary, we want to ensure that penalties are appropriate and fair in light of the actions committed,” he said. “The penalty should reflect the act. Let’s make sense of this, in a humane way, to ensure a fairer and more proportionate system for everyone.”