Hunters close to backing Labour

Senior officials of the hunters’ federation FKNK have confirmed they are close to signing a “memorandum of understanding” endorsing the Labour Party. The as yet unconfirmed memo would concern hunting issues not regulated by the EU, such as the removal of a €50 spring hunting licence fee and the cancelling of a 3pm September hunting curfew. FKNK council members are set to meet on Monday evening. If a decision was made to sign a memorandum, it would be made public immediately, sources said. “We’ve never hidden the fact that we meet and discuss our concerns with both major parties,” the officials said. “We’ve been very quiet throughout this campaign but that can all change. It depends on what the political parties do over the coming days.” Birdlife Malta officials had hinted at an agreement between the FKNK and Labour earlier yesterday, saying that lifting licence fees or afternoon curfews would be tantamount to facilitating wildlife crimes. “We know that at least seven Labour candidates have met privately with hunters during this campaign,” Birdlife director Steve Micklewright said, “and the language used by Labour mirrors that of the FKNK.” A PL spokesman did not reply to an...