With reference to the article published in Malta Today on September 14, entitled ‘BirdLife Asks for Police Protection’, BirdLife Malta would like to make the following clarification:
In the last paragraph of the above-mentioned report, the quote attributed to the Executive Director of BirdLife Malta, Tolga Temuge, summarises two separate statements into one, and leads to a different interpretation of what was actually said by connecting these two separate statements made during the press conference held to launch the ongoing Raptor Camp.
One statement referred to a question asked by a journalist regarding FKNK’s leadership: “Lino Farrugia was recently charged with illegal bird trapping and with resisting the police. Before the elections he said he will not take action if FKNK members disrespect the law, so it is clear that the provocation is coming from them.” This in itself is incorrect since what Temuge said referred to Lino Farrugia’s statement that he would not ask his members to respect the law.
The second part of the same quote was taken from a separate comment that referred to a question asked by a journalist regarding the repeated vandalism on BirdLife Malta properties that goes on unhindered: “My main concern is that these bullies tend to attack the property of BirdLife volunteers. In two years, we have filed 17 reports of vandalism on our property. Not one of the offenders has been brought to justice. We fear our conservation sites may be in danger.”
BirdLife Malta remains anxious to discover the identity of the criminals in the hope that no other vandal attacks are allowed to occur on any of the nature conservation areas that BirdLife Malta manages.

Geoffrey Saliba
Campaigns Coordinator
BirdLife Malta