Hi Folks,
Some more news from Malta.
Shooting of night herons
Ray Vella, Mellieha.
If David Borg Cardona, who wrote about the shooting of night herons in
Malta, checks all the records of recovered birds in the last 45 years he
would find that a good number of night herons were from Croatia. A ringed
bird only represents a fraction of the actual number of birds. Many hunters
never report a ringed bird they have shot, especially a protected bird.
I have picked up at least three heavily injured night herons in September
alone. Whether hundreds or dozens were shot, we can never know. All I know
is that Maltese hunters have the reputation for being trigger happy
hooligans throughout the world. A fact that he cannot deny!
If European countries were to tag their birds as he suggests the outcry
would be much larger especially after the millions of euros spent by
environmental NGOs, governments and agencies throughout Europe to bolster
their bird populations, only to have highly protected species such as black
storks, short toed eagles, ospreys, lesser kestrels and many others blown
out of Maltese skies, anytime they venture too close to these islands.
http://timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=202935
-----------------------------------------------------------
Broth without turtledoves
Keith Youngs, Tonbridge, Kent, UK.
I was amused to read Sylvana Zarb Darmanin's In Defence Of Responsible
Hunting (October 12). The lady doesn't know what she's talking about.
I invite her, when the wind direction is Xlokk in spring, to follow me to
Mizieb or L-Ahrax and she can observe how many law-abiding hunters there
are.
I urge her to brave the choppy waters so she can witness the massacre of
exhausted birds of prey from the boats lurking along the coast or to spend
time on the highest points in the countryside in September during a great
migration of honey buzzards and short-toed eagles. A magnificent sight to
feast your eyes upon until the shots ring out.
The Passa tal-Gamiem - the turtledove open season - is simply an excuse to
shoot at anything that flies by the majority of a new generation of
"shooters". I refuse to call them hunters. It ceased to be a tradition years
ago when the era of the true double-barrelled hunters died out.
Why on earth open a shooting season on March 26 when not even non-hunters like Ms Zarb Darmanin are aware that the turtledove starts appearing
regularly from mid-April? Every shot heard before that time is on protected
species, apart from the occasional quail.
Ms Zarb Darmanin didn't have to admit she's not a hunter; it was plain to
see she's more adept in the culinary arts. Perhaps the time has come for
brodu and stuffat without gamiem.
http://timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=202936
-------------------------------------------
No law at all
John Azzopardi, Bidnija.
I must have given less credit than due to Sylvana Zarb Darmanin (In Defence
Of Responsible Hunting, October 19) and I must thank her for grasping the
argument so readily. Of course, she is right when she states so eloquently
that "An unlawful law is no law at all". That is precisely what we have at
present in Malta - no law at all.
Thank you Ms Zarb Darmanin for your seal of approval.
http://timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=202941
Thursday, October 20, 2005
------------------------------------------------
< Malta late with spring hunting derogation report >
by Ivan Camilleri in Brussels
Malta has failed to meet a deadline to submit a report to the European
Commission to justify a derogation to allow hunting next spring.
The report had to be submitted by the end of last month. A spokesman for the Environment Ministry said the report was still being compiled but will be
completed shortly.
Following a visit to Malta by a Commission delegation last April, the
government was asked to submit a detailed report justifying the use of a derogation under article nine of the EU's Birds Directive permitting the hunting of turtledove and quail in spring.
Hunting in spring is not permitted in the EU, however the Maltese
authorities have been using a derogation, allowed under the Birds Directive, to justify spring hunting.
Once submitted, the report will be analysed by the Commission and a go-ahead has to be given in order for spring hunting to be allowed.
Speaking to the European Parliament last month, Nicholas Henley, Head of
Unit of the Nature and Biodiversity Unit of the European Commission said the Treaty of Accession for Malta did not grant any derogation to allow hunting in spring.
This was only possible because the government has opted to use a derogation
permitted by the Birds Directive.
He said the derogation needs an EU green-light every year and has to be in
accordance to the conditions permitting its use.
The Commission has already stated it wants to see changes in the way spring
hunting is conducted in Malta. Various groups and MEPs are lobbying the
Commission to outlaw spring hunting completely.
___________________________________________
This article may also be viewed at
http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=202946
Some more news from Malta.
Shooting of night herons
Ray Vella, Mellieha.
If David Borg Cardona, who wrote about the shooting of night herons in
Malta, checks all the records of recovered birds in the last 45 years he
would find that a good number of night herons were from Croatia. A ringed
bird only represents a fraction of the actual number of birds. Many hunters
never report a ringed bird they have shot, especially a protected bird.
I have picked up at least three heavily injured night herons in September
alone. Whether hundreds or dozens were shot, we can never know. All I know
is that Maltese hunters have the reputation for being trigger happy
hooligans throughout the world. A fact that he cannot deny!
If European countries were to tag their birds as he suggests the outcry
would be much larger especially after the millions of euros spent by
environmental NGOs, governments and agencies throughout Europe to bolster
their bird populations, only to have highly protected species such as black
storks, short toed eagles, ospreys, lesser kestrels and many others blown
out of Maltese skies, anytime they venture too close to these islands.
http://timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=202935
-----------------------------------------------------------
Broth without turtledoves
Keith Youngs, Tonbridge, Kent, UK.
I was amused to read Sylvana Zarb Darmanin's In Defence Of Responsible
Hunting (October 12). The lady doesn't know what she's talking about.
I invite her, when the wind direction is Xlokk in spring, to follow me to
Mizieb or L-Ahrax and she can observe how many law-abiding hunters there
are.
I urge her to brave the choppy waters so she can witness the massacre of
exhausted birds of prey from the boats lurking along the coast or to spend
time on the highest points in the countryside in September during a great
migration of honey buzzards and short-toed eagles. A magnificent sight to
feast your eyes upon until the shots ring out.
The Passa tal-Gamiem - the turtledove open season - is simply an excuse to
shoot at anything that flies by the majority of a new generation of
"shooters". I refuse to call them hunters. It ceased to be a tradition years
ago when the era of the true double-barrelled hunters died out.
Why on earth open a shooting season on March 26 when not even non-hunters like Ms Zarb Darmanin are aware that the turtledove starts appearing
regularly from mid-April? Every shot heard before that time is on protected
species, apart from the occasional quail.
Ms Zarb Darmanin didn't have to admit she's not a hunter; it was plain to
see she's more adept in the culinary arts. Perhaps the time has come for
brodu and stuffat without gamiem.
http://timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=202936
-------------------------------------------
No law at all
John Azzopardi, Bidnija.
I must have given less credit than due to Sylvana Zarb Darmanin (In Defence
Of Responsible Hunting, October 19) and I must thank her for grasping the
argument so readily. Of course, she is right when she states so eloquently
that "An unlawful law is no law at all". That is precisely what we have at
present in Malta - no law at all.
Thank you Ms Zarb Darmanin for your seal of approval.
http://timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=202941
Thursday, October 20, 2005
------------------------------------------------
< Malta late with spring hunting derogation report >
by Ivan Camilleri in Brussels
Malta has failed to meet a deadline to submit a report to the European
Commission to justify a derogation to allow hunting next spring.
The report had to be submitted by the end of last month. A spokesman for the Environment Ministry said the report was still being compiled but will be
completed shortly.
Following a visit to Malta by a Commission delegation last April, the
government was asked to submit a detailed report justifying the use of a derogation under article nine of the EU's Birds Directive permitting the hunting of turtledove and quail in spring.
Hunting in spring is not permitted in the EU, however the Maltese
authorities have been using a derogation, allowed under the Birds Directive, to justify spring hunting.
Once submitted, the report will be analysed by the Commission and a go-ahead has to be given in order for spring hunting to be allowed.
Speaking to the European Parliament last month, Nicholas Henley, Head of
Unit of the Nature and Biodiversity Unit of the European Commission said the Treaty of Accession for Malta did not grant any derogation to allow hunting in spring.
This was only possible because the government has opted to use a derogation
permitted by the Birds Directive.
He said the derogation needs an EU green-light every year and has to be in
accordance to the conditions permitting its use.
The Commission has already stated it wants to see changes in the way spring
hunting is conducted in Malta. Various groups and MEPs are lobbying the
Commission to outlaw spring hunting completely.
___________________________________________
This article may also be viewed at
http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=202946
