BirdLife have said that recent posts on the FKNK website forum clearly show that certain members of the Federation continue to post messages encouraging illegal hunting despite the ban on hunting in spring.

The NGO added that in a message posted on 26 March 2009 on the FKNK website a member of the Federation writes: “I don’t care now, they do right, I hope they blast every bird they see, revenge, I don’t care we’ve lost everything”. Another replies by writing “I agree with whom is going out (hunting) cause this will be a kind of protest and everyone is right to go out so that the government knows that we are afraid of no one” One other FKNK member wrote: “Now if those against us and those who made fools of us grew a pair of wings… I’d better stop here.”

BirdLife Malta reminded that it had given evidence to the police last year of messages posted on the FKNK website calling for hunters to break the law, as well as inciting violence. These recent postings show that the Federation is continuing to allow these kinds of messages to be posted on its website.

“The FKNK’s irresponsible aggressive statements and blatant misrepresentation of material facts about the Birds Directive and illegal hunting, coupled with allowing its members to post these kinds of messages on its website that clearly encourage members to break the law need to be dealt with immediately by the authorities. The FKNK administration is ultimately responsible for what is being posted on its website.” said Tolga Temuge, BirdLife Malta Executive Director.

BirdLife stated that illegal hunting has already started to increase after the spring migration started in recent weeks. The organisation has received five shot protected birds over the last two weeks. In addition, illegal hunting incidents have been reported to the organisation on a daily basis. In three separate occasions in Delimara and Mizieb, large numbers of birds of prey that attempted to roost and rest before they continue their journeys, were shot at by poachers despite both the ALE and BirdLife’s presence.

“We call on the government to stop seeing the hunting issue as a dispute between two sides and start dealing with it as a serious conservation issues on both a national and international level. All we ask from the government is to implement the law and no one, including the FKNK Administration, can be immune from the law.” concluded Temuge.

Photo – As spring migration sets in, several hunters have been recorded breaking the law and shooting in the closed season. This Marsh Harrier is one of five protected birds brought into the BirdLife Malta in just one and a half weeks.