A campaign aimed at informing citizens on how to spot illegal finch trapping could lead to citizens placing themselves in "legal jeopardy", the Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FKNK) said on Monday. 

The group was reacting to a campaign launched by BirdLife Malta last week, which listed instructions on how to spot unpermitted trapping sites and report it to the proper authorities. 

The campaign is targeted at the trapping of protected finches, a practice which was declared illegal by the European Court of Justice. 

FKNK said BirdLife's call for citizens to report sightings of decoy finches at a trapping site without a properly closed seamless ring is legally questionable.

Verifying the presence of such a ring on a live bird would require in-hand inspection, they said, which only the police and authorised officials are permitted to do. 

"Law-abiding citizens should therefore be warned that acting otherwise could lead to illegal trespassing, misrepresentation of rights or even harassment of legitimate trappers," they said. 

They also urged trappers to report any "unauthorised inspection or interference" to the police. 

FKNK attacked the campaign as "misleading" and an attempt to undermine the traditional pastime. 

"The campaign calling on citizens to take action against finch trappers is not only an attack on the practice itself, but also a deliberate challenge to the Maltese government and FKNK's support for the 'Finch Research Programme'," they said. 

The group said the Maltese government should have expected "more gratitude" from BirdLife because they receive government funding. Meanwhile, hunters and trappers must pay taxes on their licenses and other expenses and purchases related to their hobby.  

The FKNK also noted that the campaign is "aimed at Maltese citizens and not necessarily Maltese nationals". 

The group further challenged BirdLife to provide evidence to support its claim that over 51,400 finches were trapped last year.