Urgent - Malta (1 Viewer)

[A CHAPLIN]

Thanks David,

That is even worse - if left to rot they would be recycled through the ground nature's way.

Ann

 

[Nightranger]

Thanks David,

That is even worse - if left to rot they would be recycled through the ground nature's way.

Ann

Fabulous effort Ann and thank you to everyone who got involved. Most of you have Birds magazine anyway but if anyone would like the revised pack on Illegal Hunting then please PM me and I will send one out.

BTW. If you haven't got Birds, why not? Mind you, I would rather have had a picture of Elin's Tower to illustrate the final article....LOL.

Ian

 

[GreatHornedOwl]

Thank you Great Horned Owl, exactly why shoot them? Do they eat everything that flies or do they just leave them to rot, that's what I would like to know.

Ann

Ann, I'm glad I contributed - it was a small effort for me, and if my e-mail saved one songbird to live another day, I'm glad.

To answer your question, I guess they'd stuff them for displaying, especially the beautiful ones - bee-eaters, hoopoes, etc.
And:
1. Prowess with a gun or other weapons is a sign of manhood in certain cultures
2. Rare and beautiful birds were in old times often shot and stuffed, to be proudly displayed ; personally I'd like to know how many stuffed Hoopoes still are around in old houses overhere - in the '50ies many were still shot in Belgium to end up stuffed on the first radio sets. It was the "radio bird" I guess. I suppose that's how we Belgians rather exterminated our Hoopoes ...

We know better now ... although several finch and bunting species are still illegally (although the fines are high - 1000 euro for trapping a bird) trapped in Belgium to end up in cages - goldfinches and the rare yellowhammer are favourites, and there is of course the chaffinch "sport" overhere ... Congrats to Jan Rodts (see above) for his efforts in Belgium, and Malta, but the Chaffinch sport is I guess still our own "skeleton in the closet"...

Anyway, the habitat on Malta is probably one of the best and most magnificent, and that's why they still see - and unfortunately also shoot - all these birds that have become so rare overhere in great quantities ... if they'd stop hunting, Malta would be a birder's paradise. The key for a species' survival is habitat. If the Maltese would only see and understand what a potential their island has for birds and tourist birders, and that they could make a tidy sum that way (by fe. guiding birdwatchers to the best birding spots, etc.) , they'd perhaps stop shooting their greatest treasure.

On a personal note - I have always felt that "Bee-eater" is such a stupid name for such a beautiful species ... The French call them "Chasseur d'Afrique" (African hunter), now isn't that a much better name ?
I might yet start a campaign to rename the bee-eater - how about "Rainbow warrior" ? :bounce:

 

[June Atkinson]

Malta

Dear Friends and Members,

I am putting this rather long email on the Forum as I need all the help and signatures we can get not only to stop the hunting in Malta but also to protect vitally important areas of natural beauty (and bird habitat).

Please, I hope many of you will send a copy of the email enclosed in the body of the text, or one of your own and please ask anyone else you may know who can help.

As you know the EU Delegation visited Malta recently and actually granted them a concession on the hunting issue. It is not good enough we want it stopped.

Dear Birders:

Please email the sample letter below to European Commissioner for the
Environment Dr. Stavoras Dimas. Please feel free to compose one of your own
or just copy and paste and email
TO: [email protected]
and
CC:[email protected],[email protected]

Time of the essence! IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THESE E-MAILS REACH Dr. DIMAS
EARLIER THIS WEEK! Since Dr. Arnold Cassola Secretary General of the EU
Green party is holding a specific meeting with Dr. Dimas concerning Ta'
Cenc.

----------------copy and paste from here--------------
Subject: Ta'Cenc Special Protected Area Status?
TO: [email protected]
CC:[email protected],[email protected]

Dear Dr. Stavoras Dimas,

The Ta’Cenc cliff area of Malta is an important bird habitat site for
various species such as the scarce Spectacled Warbler, the Corn Bunting, and
the Blue Rock Thrush and has one of the most impressive colonies of Cory’s
Shearwater in the Maltese islands and the Mediterranean and 150 pairs of
Yelkouan Shearwater, both protected species under the EU's Birds Directive.
There is a small colony of the otherwise elusive Storm Petrel.

It is also a breeding site for the Peregrine Falcon (The famous Malta’s
namesake the Maltese Falcon), barn owl and common kestrel. This unique cliff
area is an important bird habitat for the whole region of the Mediterranean.

Ta' Cenc is also of archaeological, ecological, historical, geological, and
geomorphologic importance. This site not only includes the l-Imramma
Neolithic Temple, the pre-historic cart ruts, but also is world famous for
its spectacular cliffs that are the natural home of several wildlife species
both flora and fauna.

Ta’ Cenc offers interesting biodiversity garigue and rupestral habitats with
several rare and endemic species such as the Maltese rock Centaury (Widnet
il-Bahar, Malta's national plant).

I would like to ask for your intervention so that the Maltese Government in
particular the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) to finally
take a clear cut decision to appreciate the Ta' Cenc as an area of
outstanding natural beauty, ecological value and archaeological importance.

This site must be included as a Special Protected Area Status, forming part
of the Natura 2000 networks and not let this area be developed with hotels,
golf courses and residential villas for the wealthy few and excludes the
hundreds of thousands of local population and birders alike.

If any further development were allowed this would destroy the biodiversity
of the site and would be lost forever to our EU citizens enjoyment and the
world.

Photo:-The impressive cliffs at Ta' Cenc.
http://timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=183780&hilite=cliffs

Thank you for your attention,


Yours truly,


Sign your name and address.

---------------------------to here-----------------------


MALTESE GOVERNMENT EXCLUDES TA' CENC FROM PROTECTED DESIGNATED AREAS LIST

The Maltese Government has not included in its lists to the European Union
the Ta' Cenc site as a special protected area designated under the "Wild
Birds Directive" and the "Habitats Directive". This has been confirmed by EU
Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas in his letter to Alternattiva
Demokratika (AD) Spokesperson for Gozo, Mr. Victor Galea.

The AD Gozo Regional Committee wrote directly to the EU Environmental
Policies and Priorities Commissioner Stavros Dimas earlier this year in
order to request the Maltese Government in particular the MEPA in explaining
to the general public their decision in not bestowing the ecological,
historical, geological, archaeological and geomorphologic importance of Ta'
Cenc with Special Protected Area Status, thereby excluding the latter from
forming part of the Natura 2000 networks, when all reports conducted on this
area by independent bodies such as the University of Malta and other
universities in the EU and worldwide have suggested otherwise.

Mr. Galea said: "It is absolutely unacceptable that the Ta' Cenc site, home
to various birds, endemic species and historical remains, has not been
included in the list. Ta' Cenc is a place of unique importance, not only
because of its special bio-diversity but also because the natural beauty of
the place -with its unique diversity- is a source of attraction for Maltese
and foreign tourists and thus a source of much needed income for the Maltese
economy".

In his comments Prof. Arnold Cassola, AD Spokesperson on EU affairs and
Secretary General of the European Green Party, said: "The behaviour of the
Maltese government is irresponsible. The message sent out is that the
Maltese government does not care about safeguarding Gozo's unique heritage.
I shall try to raise the issue of Ta' Cenc directly with Commissioner Dimas,
who has promised that should the Commission services identify the need to
designate further sites in the Maltese archipelago, the Commission will
raise the issue with the Maltese authorities".
-----------------------------------
Call for Ta' Cenc to be protected

http://timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=183780&hilite=cliffs

Photo:-The impressive cliffs at Ta' Cenc.

BirdLife Malta is seriously concerned at what is says is the increasing
threat of new and extensive development at Ta' Cenc in Gozo and has appealed
to the authorities to give urgent protection to this ecologically important
site.

The environmental organisation said the proposed developments include
extensions of a hotel, residential areas as well as a golf course.

It described Ta' Cenc as an area of outstanding natural beauty, ecological
value and archaeological importance, saying it would be a major loss for the
Maltese if any further development were allowed because this would
impoverish the biodiversity of the site.

The cliffs boast the highest sheer drop of any cliffs on the islands,
reaching an altitude of 135 metres above sea level.

According to EU criteria, Ta' Cenc figures as one of 12 important bird areas
that should be afforded special protection. It has a large breeding colony
of Cory's Shearwaters, numbering about 1,000 pairs, and over 150 pairs of
Yelkouan Shearwater, both protected species under the EU's Birds Directive.

The cliffs hold a small colony of Storm Petrels and eight to 10 breeding
pairs of Malta's national bird, the Blue Rock Thrush (Merill). It is also a
breeding site for Peregrine Falcon, barn owl and common kestrel.

Furthermore, it holds a unique flora with several endemic plants that
include the Maltese rock centaury (Widnet il-Bahar), Malta's national plant.

The garigue habitat is also important, both from a botanical aspect as well
as for its avifauna, being one of the remaining breeding areas for
Short-toed Lark, Spectacled Warbler and Corn Bunting, among other species.
The garigue is frequented by numerous species of migratory and wintering
birds.

Only a small part of Ta' Cenc is a protected area where no hunting or
trapping is allowed, BirdLife said. The whole area including the cliffs and
the surrounding garigue areas should be protected as a national nature
reserve due to its outstanding ecological value.

I have just sent off my e-mail, duly sealed and signed.


Having read about the situation, I was hoping to hear that the EU Commission had acted realistically and responsibly ...........

 

[A CHAPLIN]

Urgent Malta

Hi June,

Thank you very much for sending the e-mail.

I was quite hopeful when I heard the EU Delegation were visiting but am now left wondering was it a "token" visit because of the many letters received from concerned EU residents. I was disgusted when I read they had given Malta more time to "put their house in order". Will there be any birds left? the situation seems to have got worse since the visit.

I have now personally written to all the Maltese newspapers, letting them know how I feel. I have never been to Malta but as everyone on here should know by now I care passionately for birds and the land wherever they are.

I for one will never visit Malta or Cyprus until hunting is stopped altogether not only for the sake of birds but what about the other wildlife that happen to be around at the time.

Ann

 

[s.g.]

They also shoot Butterflys......For TARGET PRACTICE.

S. G.

 

[maersk]

"In 2003 an amnesty was granted by the government for illegally shot stuffed birds. Nearly 270,000 birds were registered even though only 2,589 hunters submitted their lists."




granting amnesty to mass murderers isnt the way to stop the problem

 

[maersk]

seems like malta is a bit more f**ked up than the rest of europe.