BirdLife Malta request police protection

Updated 8.39pm with FKNK response

Conservation NGO BirdLife Malta has requested police protection following “escalating threats and intimidation,” the group announced Wednesday.

Writing on Facebook, the group said it was facing “online harassment, including posts by the hunters and trappers federation misusing its logo and personal images to incite abuse.”

It said the alleged abuse followed “vandalism and physical attacks” in the past and said it had delivered a letter to Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà asking for protection.

The NGO said that despite the alleged abuse, which it said had included hunting lobby the Federation for Hunting & Conservation Malta (FKNK) labelling it an “extremist faction”, it remained committed to protecting nature.

“BirdLife Malta condemns the ongoing hostility and calls on the Government to take a stand against intimidation. The FKNK must take responsibility for rhetoric that is fueling threats against those working in conservation”, it said.

In a video accompanying the post, Birdlife CEO Mark Sultana said, “They tried to intimidate us using physical violence and vandalism. My car tyres have been slashed, but this never stopped us.”

He said opponents of the NGO had posted personal photos of its members online.

Earlier this month, the group said two trappers, a father and son, had been found guilty of assaulting two members of BirdLife Malta following an incident near Magħtab.

It said the incident three years ago saw the two trappers carry out an “unprovoked assault” on two of its members, hurling abuse at them and slightly injuring one member of the NGO.

The two trappers were found guilty of injuring the BirdLife Malta members but were acquitted of charges related to pushing, verbal abuse, and threats after those charges were considered time barred as the police failed to provide evidence the men were notified within three months, as required by law.

 Responding to Wednesday's post, the Malta Ranger Unit (MRU) said the NGO and the rangers “should be able to carry out our duties without abuse.”

"Unfortunately, the impunity among poachers and environmental criminals is on the increase, with decision-makers sending a signal that environmental protection isn't a priority,” the unit said.

Pointing to a lack of Environmental Protection Unit (EPU) police officers on Gozo, limited numbers of EPU officers in Malta and “fragmented” entities charged with overseeing the environment, the rangers said such challenges were “seemingly aimed at making it hard to report [environmental crimes]”.

It added that a culture of impunity meant offenders felt empowered to “have a go at person who report them”.

In December, Times of Malta revealed how a network of informants, CCTV cameras and motion sensors in Gozo was monitoring the activities of the MRU in what appeared to be a concerted effort to undermine efforts to tackle illegal practices.

A visit to the island revealed a covert surveillance network apparently used as an early-warning system for those engaging in illegal activities.

'Playing the victim'

In a statement later on Wednesday, FKNK accused BirdLife Malta of "playing the victim" and of trying to "censor" the federation in an attempt to stop it from "taking any necessary action against irresponsible behaviour".

"This latest attempt by BirdLife to evade responsibility for its actions shows that not even BirdLife itself has any justification to defend its position," the organisation said.

"The FKNK reiterates that BirdLife Malta is an extremist organisation of Maltese society that does not want to respect the traditional practices of thousands of Maltese and Gozitans."

The organisation added that the "attitude of the extremists in the leadership of BirdLife Malta can neither be considered democratic nor exemplary."