BirdLife Malta has submitted a formal request for police protection to Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa following “escalating threats and intimidation”, the NGO stated on Wednesday.
Speaking outside of the Police Headquarters in Floriana, BirdLife Malta CEO Mark Sultana said that the NGO has, over the years, faced moments where it has dealt with intimidation as well as physical violence and vandalism. “This never bothered us,” he remarked, “In the sense that we always kept working, but it does not mean that we should accept it.”
Sultana continued that nowadays, the NGO has seen posts on social media, including from the Federation for Hunting, Trapping, and Conservation (FKNK), “where their aim is dubious”. He said that in these posts, BirdLife Malta’s logos as well as personal images of its members are used to incite abuse. Sultana said that such posts are followed by a barrage of insults and threats, and he added that every insult and threat which the NGO feels should be reported to the police are ultimately reported, as he said that there have been cases where individuals were taken to court and suffered penalties.
“We expect better from the FKNK, which says that it has matured over the years. We still see the same problems and attitudes, even if the faces change,” BirdLife Malta said. “The FKNK must take responsibility for rhetoric that is fuelling threats against those working in conservation.”
The NGO stated that while its members are referred to as extremists, it does not use a gun to deliver its message as an organisation, but rather only uses the democratic instruments of the country, including the courts. It added that as a society and organisation, it never uses methodologies which mark people individually or personally.
The attacks on BirdLife Malta volunteers or workers are unacceptable, it said, adding that it is also calling on the government to speak up about the situation and to take a stand against intimidation in a democratic country.
BirdLife Malta concluded by reaffirming its commitment to defending nature through democratic and legal means.