Now that the risk of the truth being disseminated to one and all is becoming a matter of fact and with several of their campaign slogans being shattered by this same truth, Birdlife (Malta) are once again trying to seek solace and redress in the arms of the European Commission. This time around complaining about a video regarding 'their' Yelkouan Shearwater project that the Federation for Hunting & Conservation - Malta had posted on their You Tube Station (link: http://uk.youtube.com/user/FKNKMalta) over a month ago.

It seems that the FKNK has finally succeeded in getting the Commission's attention, and make it take notice of what the FKNK has to say. It is a pity that the Commission appears to do so only because there is a perceived threat of BirdLife (Malta) being hit where it hurts most - funds and their potential withdrawal.

What BirdLife did not reveal to the Commission, are the facts that: - in a letter of the 26th May 2008 that the FKNK and St. Hubert's Hunters had published in a local daily under the title "The Public's right to know", BirdLife (Malta) was asked, among other things, to specify which urban development is allegedly threatening the shearwater in Malta; indicate the number of shearwaters allegedly killed by flying blindly into coastal resort buildings; specify whether BirdLife (Malta) is harassing any person or establishment because of alleged light pollution; quantify the amount spent on the rat-control "programme"; indicate the alleged "whole range" of threats to the bird; indicate time spent in "identifying" the known breeding sites already researched for 30 years; and explain why its Bird Watch Camps were directed at abundant species of "Least Concern" instead of the "Near Threatened" Yelkouan Shearwater. Before the letter was published, the project had been hyped up by its promoters, and given regular publicity in the Press. After the publication, BirdLife never replied to a single question. Now, surely that should be a cause for suspicion.

- prior to Malta's EU Membership, the FKNK had agreed, in the presence of BirdLife (Malta) officials, that the Yelkouan Shearwater (Puffinus yelkouan) be added to Annex I of the Birds Directive. The Federation was also aware that such a classification would eventually entail that a Special Protected Area (SPA) within the Natura 2000 network would be allocated and that this area would be THE CLIFFSIDE of Rdum tal-Madonna in Mellieha, and that no land surface area would be included. Therefore it is obvious that the FKNK had absolutely no problem with this Cliffside's management as an SPA and by BirdLife. However, now BirdLife have applied to have the adjoining surface area added to the SPA, which surface area has been managed as a hunting reserve by the FKNK since 1984. It also has to be added that at present BirdLife (Malta) already possess huge areas in Mellieha alone (Ghadira Sanctuary, Cliff-side of Rdum tal- Madonna and Foresta 2000), not to mention the Simar area where, again in direct contrast to what had been agreed to by their own officials, BirdLife have also 'trespassed' onto part of the land that should form part of the Mizieb hunting reserve. The FKNK, therefore, has to make it crystal clear to anyone that it will resist any further unfair intrusions of BirdLife, since their sole aim is to acquire more funds at the FKNK's and Maltese citizens' expense.

- the same amount of shearwaters as there are at present have lived and bred on the same Cliffside since time immemorial without anyone's help. The thousands of euros spent on the rat eradication programme are in the FKNK's opinion a waste, since the shearwaters and the rats have co-existed for ages. Besides, the highly-toxic rat poison used may well have a disastrous effect on non-targeted species. Contrary to what BirdLife say in the media to impress gullible people, the Yelkouan Shearwater is not an indigenous Maltese species as even the EU's LIFE project name GARNIJA-MALTIJA seems to imply. Again, if the Cliffside were to support the amount of birds claimed by BirdLife, then the place ought to resemble a dove-cote. The reality is that the Rdum tal-Madonna simply cannot take more shearwaters than it has present, for the simple reason that all the available nesting holes and crevasses are already occupied. There is nothing untrue or misleading in the above.

- on the other hand, what is definitely misleading, is the misrepresentation of material facts and misinformation that BirdLife, aided by the main local papers, have continuously transmitted to one and all, including the European Commission. Sweeping statements based on half-truths, exaggerations and downright fabrications have been made with monotonous regularity. BirdLife have embarked on a hatred campaign against the Maltese hunters, calling to 'rid the Maltese countryside from Maltese hunters and trappers'. Their lies were the real cause as to why, for the first time ever, the Maltese hunters were deprived from hunting in spring 2008. Despite several requests made by the FKNK, the European Commission never bothered to commission an independent hands-on field mission to Malta to check BirdLife's unfounded and fabricated claims. This failure on the Commission's part was another reason that led the FKNK to believe that perhaps the LIFE project in question was similarly not being independently monitored by the Commission.

Finally the FKNK would like to inform one and all that already on the 11th July it knew that the Commission would be writing this letter. On that day Mr. Tolga Temuge, BirdLife (Malta)'s executive director, sent an e-mail to a local journalist from a local daily, wherein he informed the journalist that the Commission would be addressing the letter, and advised the journalist not to print anything then, but to wait until the FKNK received the letter.

The Commission's letter in our opinion in fact confirms that BirdLife has definitely access to first-hand information emanating from the Commission or someone extremely close to it and is exerting an influence on its top ranks. From the proceedings surrounding the unjust European Court verdict of the 24th April 2008, the FKNK had already reached that conclusion. The lawsuit concerned only the Commission and the State of Malta. BirdLife was not supposed to intervene. Yet, during the hearing, the Commission tried at the last minute to introduce BirdLife figures of harvested birds over Malta to try to discredit the already-submitted figures originally quoted by the State of Malta. Besides, the verdict was made public in Malta by BirdLife (Malta) a full 25 minutes before the State of Malta was even officially informed.

The FKNK thinks that this situation goes against all the principles of justice and fair dealings and it shall not rest before justice is done and is seen to be done.

In the meantime the FKNK will be replying to the Commission's letter of the 11th July that was delivered by conventional mail to the FKNK offices on the 18th instant in order to clarify certain areas of possible misunderstanding.

Lino Farrugia Secretary - FKNK