The Federation for Hunting and Conservation – Malta (FKNK) yesterday sent a document to members of Parliament to counter the anti-hunting document presented to MPs by NGOs on Monday evening.
In the document, which was made available to the press yesterday evening, the FKNK said that it will not comment about the merits or otherwise of the NGOs’ document, which, it said, “is full of inaccuracies, lies and misconceptions in yet another attempt to destroy the Maltese and EU citizens’ legal right to practise their traditional socio-cultural passions of ‘huntable bird’ hunting and capturing.”
However, it said it would only comment on one sentence from the NGOs’ document which states that:
“Although Article 9 of the EU Birds Directive permits the justification of spring hunting in member states under very specific circumstances, it has been repeatedly declared by the European Union that Malta cannot qualify for such an exemption.”
The FKNK said it is a welcome relief for the federation to hear that now even anti-hunters have come round to accept what it has been stating ad nauseam, that is, that other EU member states do permit spring hunting by application of a derogation, and it is not true that it is only in Malta that spring hunting is permitted.
Similarly, the FKNK has always stated that as an EU member state, Malta has every right to apply a derogation to allow spring hunting under very specific conditions, even more so given the unique and particular conditions prevailing in the Maltese islands.
The FKNK is also aware that these conditions can be met, are well-documented and are supported with solid scientific data.
The FKNK, therefore, can only attribute the Malta government failure to exercise its right as an EU member state, notwithstanding having guaranteed legitimate pretence to the contrary to the thousands of Maltese sportsmen, to lack of political will and an inferiority complex attitude.
The FKNK said that the European Union should not be seen to be “setting an example” with Malta, the tiniest EU member state.