Authorities in a cage

So does Mark Mifsud Bonnici consider that pictures of illegally-shot and highly-protected birds (many endangered or rare species) should not be published so as to protect the Maltese hunters? I have seen the photo of the dogs and, believe me, it was disgusting and whoever did it should have the full weight of the law fall on him/them.

But, then again, anyone who thinks that shooting a bird, which has just crossed 500 kilometres of open water and countless other kilometres of desert, thirsty, hungry and tired, is a "sport" would be in the same water as the perpetrators of the killing of the dogs!

As for the government's stand in favour of spring hunting, I think it is about time that the political parties take a good look at what the majority of the Maltese think and stop the continuous pandering to the few thousand votes which they consider so "dear".

What happened in Brussels last January 19 was an embarrassment and an insult to ordinary Maltese. It seems that the government is now intent to drag the decision into the European Court, which might or might not take a few years.

The outcome, which most likely will go against hunting, will cost millions of euros in fines, which would have been better spent on roads and more important matters. It seems that this government's stand on hunting is a matter of "national importance", regardless of the bad name, publicity or bad hunting habits of many of the hunting fraternity.