Majjistral hunting concession ‘a move in the wrong direction’

The former chairman of the Majjistral natural park has blasted a decision by the new government to concede an extra hour of hunting, reversing a decision taken in 2009 to limit hunting until 9am.

Ian Castaldi Paris, also the mayor of Lija, could only express disagreement at the new understanding reached between environment minister Leo Brincat and hunters' lobby FKNK. "I can only see this as a way to placate the hunting lobby," Castaldi Paris said.

A legal notice drafted in 2012 to formalise the hunting ban after 9am, never came into effect, resulting in a situation where the police could not effectively enforce the Majjistral board's decision and with hunters openly disregarding the time limit.

Castaldi Paris expressed disappointment that the previous government procrastinated on the legal notice.

"Hunting is incompatible with other activities like nature walks and visits by school children at the Majjistral Park. In no other country in the world is hunting allowed in a natural park. This is a nature park, not a hunting ground," Castaldi Paris told MaltaToday. 

"The decision to ban hunting after 9am was a step in the right direction, discouraging hunting in the park. I'm sceptical as to how can hunters co-exist with other people visiting the park after 10am. The only reason people don't feel the presence of hunters here is because not enough visit the place: it's down to a lack of investment in the park," Castaldi Paris added.

The mayor also questioned how NGOs represented on the Majjistral board could allow the new compromise to take place.

Back in March 2009, NGOs Nature Trust, Gaia Foundation and Din l-Art Helwa - all of them represented on the Majjistral board - had launched an online petition calling for a hunting ban in the park.

Contacted MaltaToday, Nature Trust president Vince Attard was cautious when asked about the decision to extend hunting to 10am. "Although Nature Trust would not like hunting to take place in the park, a legal notice forbidding it after 10am is an improvement over the previous free-for-all."

Attard said that there had been situations where children on school visits had to be turned back due to hunters. "Although the situation is not ideal, it is better to have an enforceable cut-off time after which no hunting can be allowed."

Attard interpreted the new curfew as a compromise with the FKNK, which was lobbying for a 12pm curfew.

The hunters' federation had been up in arms over the board's decision to limit hunting to 9am back in 2012, with matters reaching a head when an FKNK delegation walked out of a meeting with the Majjistral Park managers. Although the 9am curfew had entered into force in 2009, hunters disregarded the time limit.