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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Gallina" data-source="post: 1314402" data-attributes="member: 70029">Martin, I am not a birdwatcher though I do marvel at the sight of any magnificent bird. A conservationist yes, I would never shoot at a protected species and am not interested in numbers of fair game, rather in quality points, shots and retrieves. And yes I am a hunter and I condemn any illegal shooting of birds. Is that clear enough?A troll? Why? Just because I came here and spoke my mind? Or is it because we don't share the same point of view. We actually do because I, like you, want to see an end to the killing of protected species, in Malta, the UK and all over Europe. The impression that yr trying to give here is that I support illegal shooting. Well, I don't. Clear enough?What strikes me most is the manner in which yr ready to condemn the Maltese nation and slander and demand action from the EU and then, when faced with articles like the one on the RSPB site, do not treat your country in the same way.Mr Cantelo:'I think you'll find that the 'pure scum' reference was directed at those who commit the barbarities mentioned rather than all Maltese' Ok, and what about all the other insults? 'your country will be treated like the dirt it is until it actually begins to behave like a modern country' or 'Totally depressing, a backward nation' or 'that nasty little island' or even 'Fact is simply Malta is backward'. Perhaps you like these 'Backward and barbaric' or 'the country is a disgrace to Europe'. Come off it.Where, in my post did I compare numbers. I'm merely pointing out that,yv also got poaching problems in the Uk and nothing you say, or any analogies to shit that you may make, deny the fact that problems exist on your turf. And, notwithstanding the fact that birds of prey are persecuted on a big scale in your country, you insist on hurling abuse and demanding sanctions against Malta and the Maltese yet stop short of demanding the same treatment for the UK.Perhaps the fact that 300 of the 395 kites introduced in Scotland disappeared is a small matter and can be likened to a cow pat?And now to your statement regarding the 626 reports over Malta. Did you read the report?The BL report states that during the hunting season, between September 1 and October 13, BirdLife fieldworkers recorded a total of 626 general illegal hunting incidents. Note the word general, whereas you try to give the impression that 626 protected birds were shot. The number of reports of shot protected birds between August 15 and October 13 increased from 21 birds last year to 55 this year. Fifty five, get that? If that's a massacre then what happens on your soil can be likened to the holocaust. And again, I stress, I condemn the shooting of even 1 protected bird so that nobody here will run away with the idea that i'm being an apologist for illegal shooting. The remainder of the illegalities can easily be attributed to hunting after the 3.00 pm ban (An unnecessary ban was what made these shots illegal. They could easily have been taken at legal game such as quail or turtle dove.), the use of electronic bird callers and other minor infringements.Mr Cantelo, I am aware that we have a problem here. Whether it is of the scale sensationalised by BL and CABS in a pre declared attempt to abolish legal hunting over MAlta is another debatable matter, but the point is that we have to find a solution to stop these illegal practises. It is pointless hurling insults all over the place. We are trying to deal with our problem and I am confident that the Maltese authorities will be on top of the situation soon enough. But, again I demand, that nobody has the right to publicly crucify a nation when their own house is not in order. I think you know what they say about glasshouses and stones.</blockquote>

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