BirdLife Malta and Din l-Art Helwa have expressed dismay at comments by hunters’ federation secretary Lino Farrugia during the programme Id-Dura, aired on Smash TV on 2 November, in connection with the tree-planting weekend held at Foresta 2000 between 26-28 October.

Tolga Temuge, executive director of BirdLife Malta said BirdLife and Din l-Art Helwa deny the claims made by Mr Farrugia and demand a clear retraction as well as an apology.

Mr Farrugia was reported claiming that BirdLife and DLH collected Lm45,000 (EUR104,819) following the vandalism attack on the night between 8-9 May at the Foresta 2000 site and added the money to their coffers, which BirdLife denied, pointing out that the money referred to was collected by the Rural Affairs and the Environment Ministry in a bank account opened and managed by MRAE.

Martin Galea, executive president of Din l-Art Helwa, added: “Farrugia also claimed that whoever planted a tree between 26-28 October had to pay a further Lm6 (EUR13.98). This could not be further from the truth. Those persons who had pledged money towards the MRAE account planted trees over this weekend without paying any further money. However, members of the public who had not yet contributed to the fund and who also wanted to plant a tree had the opportunity to turn up during the Foresta 2000 tree-planting weekend and pledge their donation there and then. In fact, more trees than planned were re-planted.”