Government denies Birdlife's claim that autumn trapping proposal is 'inside job by FKNK'

(Adds Government statement) The Wild Bird Regulations Unit’s (WBRU) proposal for a derogation to allow trapping of song thrush and golden plover this autumn was described by Birdlife Malta as “an inside job by the FKNK”. During a meeting of the Ornis committee today, Birdlife Malta’s conservation manager Nicholas Barbara raised the organisation’s objection to the committee’s chairman over the presentation of the proposal by former FKNK council member, Joseph Lia, in his capacity as “special initiatives officer” of the unit. Mr Lia, who until recently was listed as council member for “live-bird trapping” on the FKNK’s website, co-authored an FKNK proposal for the trapping of finches in autumn, which was also on today’s agenda, Birdlife said. Describing Mr Lia’s position as being, “too compromised to be credible,” Mr Barbara said: “to call this a mere conflict of interest does not do justice to the seriousness of the compromised impartiality of the WBRU. It seems that the pre-election deal negotiated by the FKNK has given them their own governmental body with which to implement their proposals on hunting and trapping”. Birdlife Malta’s representatives on the Ornis Committee withdrew...