The hunters’ lobby has endorsed Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia for the upcoming general election.
Farrugia, whose ministerial portfolio makes him responsible for the conservation of the environment and wildlife, on Monday shared an image on social media in which the FKNK’s top official described him as an ally to their cause.
“To keep on safeguarding and practicing these practices in a sustainable way, we need people who understand us. Aaron is one of these people,” FKNK president Lucas Micallef said in the post shared on Facebook.
Aaron Farrugia received an endorsement from Lucas Micallef, President of FKNK. Photo via FacebookTimes of MaltaFarrugia has been contacted with a request for comment.
Farrugia had responsibility for a consultative body on hunting and trapping taken out of his ministry and parked with Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri, a registered trapper, when the two men were made ministers in January 2020.
Camilleri’s Ornis Committee, which Camilleri heads, advises the government on hunting-related legislation and the format of hunting and trapping seasons.
BirdLife Malta has filed a lawsuit arguing that the environment minister must have responsibility for the sector.
Farrugia was then present when a 2020 agreement was signed between the government and FKNK, giving the hunters’ federation sole access to large swathes of the Miieb and Arax woodlands during the hunting season.
Conservationists had harshly criticized the move. Hundreds protested the deal in the area before it was signed.
Environmental NGOs have taken the matter before the courts to rescind the decision. The case continues.
Two years later, a special unit of police tasked with investigating environmental crimes is investigating suspected dumping in connection to the FKNK project in Miieb.
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