The hunters' federation has alleged that its members' dogs were the intended targets of rat poison found in Miżieb and Aħrax, as controversy continues over the guardianship deal signed recently for the Mellieħa woodlands. 

The FKNK said sausages covered in poison were found by hunters on Wednesday in Aħrax, days after a bag of similar poison was found spread over an area in Miżieb. 

"This is a hateful attack on hunters uisng these areas with their dogs, which could easily become the victims of this poison," the federation said, calling for police and government protection for hunters to prevent more serious incidents.

The FKNK claimed the incidents followed other acts of violence and aggression, and accused the NGO Birdlife Malta of "kicking off this series of provocations on October 11".

Birdlife on that day held a peaceful sit-down protest at Miżieb calling for the revocation of a contentious deal in which the FKNK was handed guardianship over the two vast woodland areas, restricting public access during hunting hours. 

Hunters lambasted the protest at the time as "provocative" and having "political motives".

The latest claims came on the same day that activists held another sit-down protest in Valletta against the deal.

The FKNK has previously claimed that hunters' shelters in Miżieb were vandalised a day after the guardianship deal was signed, again pinning the blame on Birdlife Malta. 

Birdlife has denied any involvement and condemned any use of force or intimidation. 

It has since announced, together with five other environmental organisations, a court challenge seeking to strike down the deal.

The groups claim the Lands Authority acted in an "arbitrary, intransparent, discriminatory and unreasonable manner" and that EU law was breached when the government failed to carry out required studies to determine the environmental impacts of the concession.