FKNK Pens Letter To Canadian Authorities Lambasting ‘Unbelievable’ Warnings Given To Inbound Tourists
The Federation for Hunting and Conservation – Malta (FKNK) penned a strongly worded letter to Canadian authorities after the country issued warnings to tourists holidaying in Malta.
It was a reply to an update posted on the official Canadian website. One that warned incoming tourists of drivers who didn’t respect the law on the roads, and also of the possibility of being struck by a stray bullet shot by a hunter.
“We are very concerned at the way the Official Government of Canada’s website is incorrectly portraying such advice,” the FKNK wrote in an open letter to the Embassy and Consulate of Canada.
“The incorrectness and seriousness of the several ‘warnings’ given to would-be visitors to Malta, regarding our traditional socio-cultural passions of hunting practices can only be mildly termed as unbelievable!”
In their official statement, the FKNK stated that such allegations could only have been relayed to the Canadian authorities by entities that either have a “clear anti-hunting agenda” or ones that “mean to harm Maltese tourism due to envy, because of the excellent reputation our main industry enjoys.”
Addressing the state’s claim on the likelihood of ‘accidents concerning stray bullets’, the lobby wrote:
“The use of bullets and rifles for hunting purposes is not permitted on the Maltese islands, for the very simple reason that our hunted species consist of migratory game-birds and wild rabbit, which is the biggest mammal that can be found in some places in Malta.
“No big game species are present. Hence we are only permitted to use shotguns with lead-pellet shots as projectiles. Our track record in terms of safety is second to none.”
The lobby added that Malta’s open hunting seasons are of short duration and in line with EU nature laws and regulations, and stated that any other “embellished” statement is just “an imaginary exaggeration.”
In its letter, the FKNK addressed a claim made by Canadian authorities that stated that hunting areas in Malta are rarely marked:
“The marking of hunting areas is not a legal requirement, and furthermore, it should be noted that most rural areas around the islands are privately owned, and as such, the owner’s privacy should be respected (unfortunately most walking tourists disregard this respect).”
The FKNK is the largest civil society organisation on the Maltese Islands and has well over 10,000 adult members.
In its letter, they implored the Canadian authorities to make necessary amendments to their travel warnings.
What do you make of the reply?