Updated 12.35pm, adds KSU's statement
The Hunters’ Federation has requested an urgent meeting with the Police Commissioner after Birdlife on Wednesday filed a criminal complaint over what it termed were illegally issued hunting licences.
Birdlife is maintaining that European legislation mandates issues related to wildlife and conservation be overseen by environmental ministries. But the hunting licences in Malta were issued by the Gozo Minister, rendering them illegal.
In a statement, the hunter’s federation said it still did not have all the details of Birdlife complaint but it seemed that the latter had filed a false report against all 6,000 hunters who received a special hunting licence for quail.
The FKNK said the licenses were issued according to law by the Wild Birds Regulation Unit and it could not understand Birdlife’s attitude or why they decided the licences were illegal.
It said it requested an urgent meeting with the Police Commissioner to present its position against the allegations made in Birdlife's baseless report to safeguard the interests of Maltese and Gozitan hunters.
The FKNK said that when the government confirmed that the season was being opened, Birdlife had immediately come out against this alleging undue pressure on the police force.
However, it no longer seemed preoccupied with such pressure and was requesting the force to investigate and charge 6,000 hunters to be subject to a fine of a maximum of €10,000 and/or two years in prison apart from the permanent suspension of their licence.
FKNK said it would fully cooperate with the police but was reserving the right to take all necessary steps according to law, including to take action, if needed against Birdlife, Daryl Grima and Mark Sultana personally and in their position at Birdlife, for slander as a result of their unfounded allegations which, in its opinion, were only aimed at abolishing hunting.
Birdlife's criminal complaint 'baseless'
In a separate statement, Kaċċaturi San Ubertu (KSU) said legal advice it had been given about the vile criminal complaint on spring hunting licenses pointed to this being baseless, deceitful and a waste of precious time for the police and the authorities.
It said all spring hunting licenses were issued according to the relevant legal notice and subsequently Birdlife's statements were nothing but lies and more hatred directed towards hunters "in yet another vile and arrogant attempt to stop hunting".
KSU called upon the authorities to take action against such extremism which, it said, only served to tarnish Malta's reputation, create more animosity and attempts to obstruct the legal activities of a substiantial sector of Maltese citizens.