The Hunters Federation (FKNK) has vowed to continue striving to eliminate once and for all criminals who shot at protected birds from the Maltese countryside. It said in a statement that it had reported confirmed reports of illegal shooting to the police
The association said such shooting was 'absolutely unacceptable' and it was working to eradicate it with the assistance of the police and the backing of its thousands of genuine members.
"The FKNK reiterates and unreservedly warns that it will not allow any criminal who persists in shooting on protected bird species to mar, in any manner, the efforts of genuine hunters.
"The FKNK also repeats its warning that anyone who is arraigned on cases of illegal shooting on protected species and who happens to be within its members' ranks, that such person will have his/her membership suspended with immediate effect and if found guilty by the competent court will have such membership cancelled.
"Anyone who is not in possession of a membership with a hunting and trapping organisation cannot obtain a hunting and trapping licence, and consequently the FKNK hopes that if it cancels the membership of any person found guilty of illegal shooting of protected species, no other hunting organisation will accept such person in its fold as was the case in previous instances," it said.
The organisation appealed to the government to help find an adequate solution for cases to be addressed so that they would not continue to harm genuine hunters.
Such cases also harmed Malta as some disseminated them across the globe as though the situation reflected Maltese hunting and trapping practices.
The FKNK said that between after 3 p.m. yesterday and today, it had received reports of illegal shooting of protected species, and in the cases that could be confirmed it filed immediate official reports with the police.
By 9.30 p.m. yesterday, a report was filed that someone was trying to shoot, even with the aid of artificial lighting, at marsh harriers that had landed in the vicinity of Burmarrad.
Another report was filed this morning at about 10 a.m. that someone had shot at a grey heron in the area of tal-Fagħta in Kalkara.
"Yesterday's and today's incidents are another clear confirmation that the legal practice of hunting, consequently the presence of genuine hunters in the Maltese countryside, is the best prevention to illegal shooting of protected species.
"The same serious hunters and trappers, in their absolute majority, will not allow anyone to take away from them, that, from which they had unjustly been deprived, now that they have tasted it again in a manner on which they can build for the future," the FKNK said.