[A CHAPLIN]

Hi Folks,

Brussels has told Malta there will be no Spring Hunting this year. The full article can be read at:-

http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=249797

but seeing is believing you know me, how do we make them obey?

The Ormis committee in Malta had 6 weeks before the start of the season to produce a list of birds they wished to hunt that has not been received.

The infringement proceedings started against Malta relate to the law being broken in 2004 and proceeding. If every year has to be dealt with separately and as slowly as this how many thousands/millions more birds will die.

We must still keep up the pressure all the time Malta obviously intends to ignore all laws and carry on regardless, this cannot be allowed to continue.

Thanks for reading.

The Cynic

Ann

[alcedo.atthis]

"Brussels has told Malta there will be no Spring Hunting this year."

And no UK drivers will speed, use their mobiles while driving, undertake, drive without lights in adverse weather conditions, etc, etc. Brussels says so!!

Regards

Malky

Ps, calling Germany, calling Germany, you can shoot Cormorants, 'cause Brussels doesn't say you cannot.

[Mary Evelyn]

Originally Posted by alcedo.atthis

"Brussels has told Malta there will be no Spring Hunting this year."

And no UK drivers will speed, use their mobiles while driving, undertake, drive without lights in adverse weather conditions, etc, etc. Brussels says so!!

Regards

Malky

Ps, calling Germany, calling Germany, you can shoot Cormorants, 'cause Brussels doesn't say you cannot.

So we all lie down and die...................I don't think so.


Thank goodness for people like Ann who won't give up the fight just because it's an easy option.

There will always be people above the law but doing nothing, allows the scum of this earth to win and i am not just talking about Malta.


The fight isn't easy but it has to go on and on and on,simple as that.

[A CHAPLIN]

Reading Malky's post above I wondered why I was fighting Malta, if a member of Birdforum a community for birders could write that what does the rest of the world think "the slaughter in Malta" is a joke.

Today I received a copy of the following article from the Times Malta and know I am not alone in my fight world experts are involved and we will not stop until the slaughter has stopped. It is the world's birds they are killing not just those from Europe and yes they do matter.

www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=250156

Ann

[Jodd]

Thanks Ann for that posting and as much as it sickened and saddened me to read it, it shows the true reality of what is happening in Malta. I personally cannot understand how people get pleasure out of shooting any kind of bird but to shoot something as beautiful as a kingfisher is totally incomprehensible. Keep up the fight I am with you all way.

Also below is a press release today from RSPB

http://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/maltap...cm5-146146.pdf

Jo

[alcedo.atthis]

"Reading Malky's post above I wondered why I"/we
totally missed the point that he was making. I also wonder why Mary did this also. Perhaps, Malky's post was far to subtle for the both of us. I/we must try and read between the lines, and discern what was actually being said through text, compared to my/our own conclusions from just reading the words. Perhaps, my/our own thoughts as to what is going on in Malta has played a large part in my/our misconcieved conclusions regarding Malky's post.


Regards

Malky "The Cynic" number 2!!

[A CHAPLIN]

Hi Jodd,

Thank you for your support and also for the RSPB press release which I hadn't seen before.

I often receive horrific photos of shot birds sent by Ray who tries to save them but sadly of course most have to be put to sleep, he feels for every one. I wish there were more people on Malta like him.

Ann

[cuckooroller]

Malky,
Well, I got your drift. To cynics such as we are sometimes even little victories seem like too little too late in the grand scheme of things that are hopelessly screwed up.

[Mary Evelyn]

I don't think i misunderstood your message Malky.

It was an extremely negative statement and whilst i do understand what you are saying.I believe in, if at first you don't succeed try try and try again.Why -because it is more important to do something than do nothing.

Ann beats herself against the brick wall again and again and again and every brick that becomes dislodged no matter how small, is a positive.

I think you ought to read Anns post again,i didn't notice her jumping for joy and it's encouragement people like her need because without them there is no fight.

[Mary Evelyn]

Originally Posted by cuckooroller

Malky,
Well, I got your drift. To cynics such as we are sometimes even little victories seem like too little too late in the grand scheme of things that are hopelessly screwed up.

Exactly, so do we forget about the plight of these birds,turn a blind eye and move on to something that doesn't screw us up.?

[cuckooroller]

Originally Posted by Mary Evelyn

Exactly, so do we forget about the plight of these birds,turn a blind eye and move on to something that doesn't screw us up.?

Hi Mary Evelyn,
No! It should be understood, however, that there are lots of people that cynical that they may be, and for good reasons, are just too ornery to stop fighting and doing what they can to stave off the inevitable. I am one of those, and I daresay that Malky is too. So, forgive us our occasional despair leaking through our words...

[Mary Evelyn]

Originally Posted by cuckooroller

Hi Mary Evelyn,
No! It should be understood, however, that there are lots of people that cynical that they may be, and for good reasons, are just too ornery to stop fighting and doing what they can to stave off the inevitable. I am one of those, and I daresay that Malky is too. So, forgive us our occasional despair leaking through our words...

Hi Cuckooroller,I do understand the despair,i too am cynical but i also believe that strong vibes must also always be put out so that people don't give up, no matter how bad it gets.

I do know how tough it is for anyone fighting this and so many other similar causes though and Anns post is from one woman who knows,like you, just how despairing it is.

Very best wishes

[alcedo.atthis]

To Mary/Ann, "like you, just how despairing it is."

One has just to look at the following

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=67338&page=3&pp=25

and some lines taken from said.



"Answer given by Mr Dimas on behalf of the Commission (18.1.2007)

The Commission can confirm that it is aware of the practice of using stone traps to capture birds in France.
The Commission addressed this issue by registering complaint No 2003/5133. Information was requested from the French Government, and having assessed the information thus provided, the Commission came to the conclusion that the complaint should be closed on the grounds that such a practice does not breach Articles 8 and 9, Paragraph 1, Point c) of Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds."



"I don't think that the EC is playing this one hard enough."



Now, when you look at the various decisions made by the Commission, which include the allowing of practices which would normally be outlawed, but are allowed, due to the fact that the said practices/actions are, part of the individual member state's historical practices, thus part of their heritage. Do you really, in all honesty, think that after a few hundred years of bird slaughter in the Mediterranean countries, some just to add wings only to their collections, you are going to stop individuals using these practices by utilising the "conscience" of politicians?



Me, as far as politicians are concerned, their individual interests come first.

First rule of being a politician.

“Never shoot one’s self in the foot”



Regards



Malky

If dropping a bolder on their head/body is acceptable, what chance against the gun lobby??
Ps, please confirm what year it is, it is 1007, or does some of man's behaviour only lead some of us to think that it is?

[Farnboro John]

There is a clear difference between the habitual law-breaking in UK and the illegal hunting in Malta and that is enforcement. In UK doing the things listed you can be caught and prosecuted because not only are there laws but there are enforcers (just not enough to catch everybody): in Malta even if there are laws nobody is seriously trying to enforce them.

John

[Mark Bruce]

I'm with the "keep trying faction" on this one. In Taiwan we had a long history of the hunting of migrant raptors right up until the early nineties. Each year tens of thousands of them would perish at the hands of Taiwanese hunters. It was a tradition centuries old. The raptors were used as a tonic food and for mounts. The locals believed it was a precious gift from the gods. Now the practise is outlawed and has pretty much been stopped. Raptor watching has become a major activity. There is still some raptor hunting that continues in secret but those that do it know that they may serve time if they get caught. Last year there was an increase in hunting but there was a huge outcry and the authorities reacted positively. If you could get this right in Taiwan then why not Malta?

[A CHAPLIN]

Hi Folks,

I did not want to start yet another thread on this issue.

The hunters are again threatening to take to the streets to keep their barbaric traditions.

www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=46053

The Federation can produce doctors' certificates to show their members are seeing doctors and psychiatrists as they feel persecuted and are being treated as second class citizens (my words). It is time they found another way of life, sport or hobby.

Ann

[tom tams]

Have just recieved this message from a friend.

Hi All,
please go to the Times of Malta Home page at <http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/index.php> and vote NO at the Poll Booth. You also can send your comments.

Tom

[PaulE]

Originally Posted by tom tams

Have just recieved this message from a friend.

Hi All,
please go to the Times of Malta Home page at <http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/index.php> and vote NO at the Poll Booth. You also can send your comments.

Tom

done that

[Jodd]

Went onto Times of Malta website but it said I had already voted? That's odd I wasn't aware that I had.

[Eider-Duck]

Originally Posted by tom tams

Have just recieved this message from a friend.

Hi All,
please go to the Times of Malta Home page at <http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/index.php> and vote NO at the Poll Booth. You also can send your comments.

Tom

Done.

[A CHAPLIN]

Thanks Tom for the post and everyone else who signs.

Like Eider-Duck I went to the booth and it said I had already voted, have they a list of all the 115,000 RSPB members who have signed the petition, is it only for Maltese citizens if so 88% or thereabouts have signed.

I filled in the comment box too.

I have just received an email today from someone who works for The Times (I think from the email address) and guns licensed in the last year have increased including 4 machine guns, I will now see if I can copy the appropriate comments. Here they are.

"The Times, which carried this news on Thursday, also informed us that there
are 11,929 licensed hunters and that a total of 1,789 new weapons were
registered last year. These included 419 rifles, 363 shotguns, 281 pistols, 251 air rifles,102 air pistols, 40 revolvers, 21 muzzle guns and four machine-guns.

Who could possibly need machine-guns? Surely not the hunters!"

Ann Never what chance have they got?

[Jodd]

Originally Posted by Jodd

Went onto Times of Malta website but it said I had already voted? That's odd I wasn't aware that I had.

Just discovered - on the 'section choice' of the website if you click on 'News' tab and then back on the 'Home' tab it then allows you to click on the voting options.

Is it my imagination - are the number of votes going up but the percentages staying exactly the same? (Just checked it again and the %s have altered slightly)

[Richard Henry]

from the time of malta website:

Hunters suspend ultimatum
[16/02/2007 - 00:08]
The hunters’ federation has suspended its ultimatum to the government, expressing cautious optimism that conditions for spring hunting this year will remain unchanged. The Federation for Hunting and Conservation said it did not feel the need to give directives to its members yet, since there is reason to believe hunters will shortly be given what is rightly theirs. 'By nature, I’m never optimistic, but I’m certain there are enough valid reasons to ensure this tradition will remain untouched,' federation secretary Lino Farrugia, said.

[A CHAPLIN]

Hi Richard,

Thanks for the above posting I can also add the following which is part of a lengthier email I have received this weekend.

It now "awaits" the outcome of a meeting of the Ornis committee, which makes
recommendations to the government on the timing of the hunting and trapping
seasons. The committee is scheduled to meet on February 26.

Ann

[A CHAPLIN]

Malta says Spring Hunting will go ahead.

The Maltese government insists that it has implemented the EU Bird Directive and that the derogation for spring hunting is “well founded and within the legal framework of the EU Birds Directive.“

www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=253057

Also the Ornis Committee chairman Tonio Azzopardi has resigned suddenly for “personal reasons” and was replaced on Wednesday by Louis Cilia, a long-standing civil servant, a former acting director at the Corradino Correctional Facility. Ornis are to hold a meeting on Monday 26 February. This article can be read at:-

www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=252969

Ann