Din l-Art Helwa yesterday deplored what it termed to be the intemperate language used by the Federation for Hunting and Conservation – Malta (FKNK) this month in a statement headed “Birdlife will feel hunters’ wrath”.

In language comic were it not so insulting, the hunters said that “Birdlife and co. will feel the full weight of the wrath of FKNK and Maltese Hunters and Trappers, and before anyone can abolish such traditions they would have to go over a lot of dead bodies”, the NGO said.

“This kind of aggressive and threatening language has no place in a civilised and democratic society and only exposes FKNK to ridicule. Moreover, it undermines their own case – right or wrong – to allow spring hunting by giving the impression – now prevalent throughout Europe – that Maltese hunters are a lawless bunch of gun-toting, bullying thugs in disrupted pattern combat kit incapable of respecting the rule of law, protected species of birds, or anybody who disagrees with their point of view.”

The NGO added that the sooner FKNK withdrew their statement and issued a public apology to Birdlife and the citizens of this country, “the better for their image and their (misplaced) cause”.