'Hunters' boycott strengthens me'

Edward Demicoli, a PN candidate for the European Parliament elections, said today that a call by the hunters' federation for its members not to vote for him, made him proud.

The call was made by the federation this morning after Mr Demicoli came out against Spring hunting when he launched his electoral campaign.

"I am against Spring hunting as I believe that this is not sustainable. Nothing that FKNK can or will do will make me change that view. It can only serve to strengthen it," Mr Demicoli told timesofmalta.com.

He added that had the FKNK exercised more control on its rogue members the hunting situation in Malta would not have become what it is today.

Earlier, the FKNK said it had issued its directive against Mr Demicoli at the launch of an MEPs Election Campaign.

The campaign has the slogan “FKNK – For Your Rights in Europe”.
"Ironically and without shame Mr. Demicoli, the Malta/EU Information Centre (MIC) Deputy-Head for the past 10 years chose to attack the Maltese socio-cultural tradition of spring hunting during the launch of his campaign as a member of the European Parliament, conveniently forgetting and totally contradicting the information that MIC had enlightened hunters and trappers with prior to the EU Referendum vote," the federation said.

The federation said any single hunter’s YES vote for Europe was based on gross misinformation of material facts and consequently that EU membership was based on a hoax. It quoted from statements from a MIC Fact Sheet entitled “Hunting and Trapping Enthusiasts”, (http://www.huntinginmalta.org.mt/uploads/24/508/Hunting__Trapping_Entusiasts_MIC _Fact_Sheet.pdf )which said, among other things that: : “…Malta argued that hunting in Malta is mostly practised in Spring because it depends on migratory birds. The EU acknowledged these arguments and Malta will be able to retain hunting in Spring and Autumn even after membership.” and “…hunting in Spring can continue in Malta for turtledoves and quail. As a result, therefore, after membership Maltese hunters will continue to be able to hunt in Spring.”