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Message: <blockquote data-quote="John Cantelo" data-source="post: 1313858" data-attributes="member: 2844">I think you'll find that the 'pure scum' reference was directed at those who commit the barbarities mentioned rather than all Maltese.  It also appears to have slipped your mind that the UK has a substantially larger population than Malta and that, unlike the UK, Malta scarcely has any 'remote locations' and hence this sort of villany is relatively easy to detect there.   The figures you mention for the UK work out at 333 cases pa.  Since the UK's population is approximately 150x that of Malta given a similar level of criminality the equivilent figures should be a tad over 2 cases per annum.  I suspect that even you have noticed that the actual figures for Malta are somewhat higher .....     Now I realise that you are reluctant to accept the conservationist's figures with regard to Malta (yet evidently happy to accept them for the UK), but since they are the only authorititive ones available let's use them.  In just over a MONTH (not 5 years) 626 incidents were reported on Malta. However, let's be absurdly generous and say that this figure represents the annual toll - which over 5 years comes out at 3,130 incidents.  However we should also factor in relative populations (x150) so that'd be like nearly half a million such incidents in the UK (469,500 if you want to know, but I've already been rather generous so let's leave it at half a million).   Remember too that, unlike Malta, the authorities in the UK, backed like organisations such as the RSPB vigorously prosecute those involved where and whenever they can.  Yes, there's no doubt that the UK needs to sort out some important issues in this area, but the suggestion that the two situations are somehow comperable is ludicrous.  So much so that it's hard not to consider the argument presented as being entirely, and cynically, disingenuous.  We may well have to shovel the odd cow pat's worth of filth now and again, but Malta's (water)closet has a filthy stinking mountain of ordure which is denied only by apologists like Galina. I could go on and pick more holes in the rest of Galina's threadbare argument, but I'd hate to be accused of intellectual arrogance (again).  Malta is, I am sure a wonderful island.  Birds apart, I'd like to see the many fascinating archaeological remains to be found there (assuming any are left given the reported the rate of criminal damage done to them by hunters).  Those (regretfully few) Maltese I've met have all been delightful people (and all disgusted by the activities of hunters).  It's just a pity that, thanks to this shameless minority, aided and abetted by wilful political inaction, the only thing the country is internationally known for at the start of the 21st century is the mindless slaughter of OUR birds.  Surely it is this, not those concerned to protect wildlife, that should be at the focus for Galina's anger.  That it seems not to be speaks volumes,John</blockquote>

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