Hunters claim tarnished image

The Federation for Hunting and Conservation has presented a judicial protest in the First Hall of the Civil Court against BirdLife Malta and Alternattiva Demokratika.

The federation said both organisations had claimed hunters were behind the killing of spoonbills at Ghadira reserve earlier this year but no proof was ever produced that hunters had killed the birds and no one was ever charged over the matter.

The news of the killing of the spoonbills had created a sensation and hunters' image was tarnished as a result, the federation argued.

It said this was not the only time that such false accusations had been made by BirdLife, AD and others.