Hunters denounce ‘provocative tactics’ by CABS, BirdLife monitors

FKNK secretary Lino Farrugia said in a statement that the federation had advised the authorities to ensure enough police officers would be onsite to accompany the bird monitors.

“We offered to pay for ‘extra’ police officers to accompany CABS and BLM personnel – both individuals and groups – on their outings. We were told the OPM had given assurance that police officers would anyway accompany CABS and BLM personnel on their outings.

“Apparently this measure was not put into force. The end result definitely is that the absence of police allows CABS and BLM the freedom of making assertions without being contradicted. Conveniently CABS and BLM often ‘complain’ that ‘by the time the police arrived, the perpetrators had disappeared’.”

Farruia said the FKNK would ensure CABS and BirdLife “will be prevented from staging future theatrics.”

“If FKNK’s advice had been heeded, Malta would have been spared the repeated provocative theatrics played out by CABS and their partners BLM at FKNK’s hunting reserve of Miżieb.”

FKNK said the arrest of an FKNK council member on 20 September had been declared illegal by the duty magistrate.

FKNK also alleged that the discovery of 80 bird carcasses could be a frame-up against the hunting federation, saying searchers had not been accompanied by police, and that  the FKNK – as guardians of the reserve – had not been contacted before the search began.

“Why were media photographers already present before the ‘search’ started unless the ‘searchers’ were not absolutely certain they would definitely ‘find’ dead birds?”

FKNK said CABS’s “concocted, wildly-exaggerated, and unverified reports have a bad effect on Malta’s image internationally and on our incoming tourism. We insist that the eradication of illegalities is also our priority, but we will not tolerate such underhand tactics in the pursuit of this aim.”

FKNK also claimed it is seeking legal advice on possible infringements of data protection over unauthorized photography and video-filming, and handling of protected birds.