BirdLife Malta has welcomed the hunters' federation condemnation of illegal hunting hides and urged it to help the police identify the "thousands" of illegal structures in the countryside and those who built them.

The sarcastic comment came in reaction to a statement by the federation, which, earlier in the day, called on the Police Commissioner to take legal action against BirdLife for holding a "farcical" protest in St George's Square, Valletta without a permit.

BirdLife members on Tuesday built a makeshift hunting hide made out of wooden pallets in front of Parliament to protest against the illegal occupation of public land, including Miżieb and Simar bird sanctuary.

The hunters' federation (FKNK) condemned illegal hides but insisted action had to be taken against BirdLife Malta officials for building an unauthorised hunting hide on public land.

The federation pointed out that the conservationists had also illegally wielded an object similar to a shotgun, made out of wood, which was uncovered, unlicensed and within 200 metres of an inhabited area. It reminded the Police Commissioner that one of its members had been found guilty and fined for carrying a similar wooden object during a protest in Valletta three years ago.

BirdLife Malta retorted that the so-called shotgun was a broom, which they used to clean up the spent cartridges at the hunting hide at the end of the protest.

It welcomed the federation's request for an investigation and said it expected it to help the authorities remove the illegal hides in the countryside.

Tuesday's protest was held to reveal the "farcical" situation where hunters and trappers occupy public land, BirdLife Malta said. "These double standards have to be stopped because people have to get development permits on their own private land, let alone to occupy public land," the conservation group said.

BirdLife also called on FKNK to remove the 256 hides in Miżieb and the others in the nearby Simar bird sanctuary.