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Message: <blockquote data-quote="TwoDipsfromAmsterdam" data-source="post: 1314463" data-attributes="member: 67259">Having worked in the international arena for more years than I care to remember the one thing I have learnt is that national identities and cultures are very strong. Malta clearly has a strong culture when it comes to hunting (illegal or otherwise) and as such it won't be eradicated overnight. Those of you in the UK will recall the long hard struggle that had to be gone through to outlaw hunting with dogs and how often the socio-cultural arguments were used to defend such hunting. I agree entirely with John C's view that pressure as a result of Malta's EU membership will be the way forward. The question is "how?" I suspect that, apart from the excellent pressures brought about by the usual interested organisations such as the RSPB, it comes down to individuals applying pressures through the "usual channels". This means writing to your MEP - I'd be surprised if many knew who their MEP is so here's a start - <a href="http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/public/geoSearch.do?language=EN" target="_blank">http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/public/geoSearch.do?language=EN</a>.No doubt there are other channels to use but in the end it will be pressure brought via Brussels that will force the Maltese authorities into acting on illegal hunting. Get writing today!</blockquote>