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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ColD" data-source="post: 2228491" data-attributes="member: 36926">For some reason I received the following by email from the Hunting Federation of Malta, thought it might promote some debate by Birdforum members ColD The Federation for Hunting & Conservation – Malta (FKNK) regards the Government’s ‘Policy Guidelines for Hunting and Trapping of birds in Malta’ published on 12th August 2011 as this Government’s latest move to gradually eradicate the traditional socio-cultural passions of hunting and trapping from the Maltese Islands.  Evidently the government is completely indifferent to the feelings, expectations and aspirations of the Maltese hunters and trappers.  Additionally Government displays a total disregard towards the legitimate right of landowners to use their land as they deem fit during the open hunting/trapping seasons. In issuing this Policy, Government must believe that the thousands of hunters and trappers and their families are dispensable, besides, with this Policy Government has yet again attempted to create a divide-and-rule situation, this time between hunters and trappers. All EU Member States, except Malta, have fixed hunting seasons which, for practical and humanitarian reasons, are determined in advance.  It is only the present Maltese Government that adopts the puerile tactic of leaving it to the last moment to announce the opening of the hunting and trapping seasons.  It is only this Government that adopts the same tactics when it chose to dismiss the recommendations of its own appointed ORNIS Committee, and now ‘recommends’ to that same Committee, by way of its Policy Guidelines, what the Committee should ‘recommend’ to it.  Led by the nose by BirdLife Malta, this Government has drawn up policy guidelines that go beyond EU requirements. The unnecessary ban on September afternoon hunting was NEVER endorsed by the Ornis Committee in its annual recommendations.  The Government simply ignores ORNIS, and bows to the demands of BirdLife Malta, and the German-based CABS, both of whom want to usurp the Maltese countryside for their extremist ends.  This is simply an extension of BirdLife’s campaign ‘reclaim your countryside’.  The imposition of daily bag limits is another unnecessary restriction that is not required by EU legislation.  The Policy Guidelines make it clear that it is this Government’s intention never to permit trapping for the quail and the turtle dove, always to impose the September afternoon ban, never to allow hunting in the month of May and that it is planning further restrictions on Sundays, Public Holidays and now also during school holidays.  We repeat, it is the local government, not the European Union, that wants to impose these restrictions, thereby causing further unnecessary hardship to hunters and trappers.  Furthermore, the twisting of facts and the misinterpretations of the ruling of the European Court of Justice of 10th September 2009 prove the unfair intentions of the Government. Therefore, the FKNK has no option but to do its utmost to put a stop to this Government’s attempt to dismantle the traditional socio-cultural passion of Maltese hunters and trappers.  The FKNK is now constrained to embark on a different course of action. We are determined not to allow any Government remove what rightfully and legally belongs to the Maltese hunters and trappers. The FKNK has sent a detailed critique of the Policy Guidelines to the Government, the Opposition and the Malta Ornis Committee. Lino FarrugiaSecretary General</blockquote>

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