Updated 6.50pm

A war of words ensued between hunters and environmental activists on Saturday after the European Commission opened infringement procedures against Malta over hunting and trapping. 

Birdlife Malta said the Commission's action had been brought about by "erroneous advice" given to the Prime Minister by Gozo minister Clint Camilleri, who also has responsibility for hunting, which had led to decisions "that took us back in time", damaging the country's reputation. 

"Malta should be aware that it cannot be a European Union Member State à la carte and that the spirit of the EU Accession Treaty must be respected," Birdlife said in a statement on Saturday. 

The hunting lobby FKNK, meanwhile, laid the blame squarely at Birdlife's feet, claiming that the European Commission had been driven by "exaggerated or misleading" reports by the NGO, and had ignored other reports by the Maltese government itself. 

"The European Commission is not following the facts but the reports issued by Birdlife Malta. The fact that the Commission uses words that are an exact copy of those used by Birdlife attests to the marriage between the two entities," FKNK said.

The European Commission opened infringement proceedings against Malta earlier this week for allowing trapping on the pretext of scientific research and for hunting derogations in breach of the Birds Directive. 

The Commission called on Malta to correctly apply the Birds Directive, which requires a general system of protection for wild birds and allows derogations only subject to strict conditions.

It argues that Malta's position goes against the European Green Deal and the European Biodiversity Strategy.

In a press conference on Saturday the FKNK levelled extensive claims against Birdlife, accusing it of deliberately harming Malta's reputation for financial gain. FKNK also defended its own environmental track record, and reiterated its commitment to tackling hunting illegalities. 

Birdlife meanwhile dismissed the accusations as "laughable and ludicrous".

"The hunting lobby in Malta should realise that it is high time they stop taking their privileges for granted and that their abusive actions – in particular with illegal hunting and trapping – have harmed Malta for decades, earning us the reputation as a country where 'what flies, dies'."

Malta has authorised derogations for the spring hunting of quail every year since 2011 and derogations for autumn live-capturing of song thrush and golden plover each year since 2012. 

These derogations, the European Commission says, have systematically fallen short of the standards required by EU legislation, and have resulted in other species than those targeted being affected. 

The high numbers of wild birds illegally shot in Malta also "constitute a major and systemic failure to establish a general system of protection as required by Article 5 of the Birds Directive", according to the Commission.