How to add wildlife tourism dollars to the Maltese economy

During recent decades, a growing chorus of Maltese and international opposition has developed toward the continuing illegal bird shooting and trapping in the Maltese islands. A lot has been published about the issue, particularly about the shooting of birds of prey.

Fifty to 75 years ago similar hawk shooting occurred in the central Appalachian mountains of Pennsylvania. Today, hawks and most other birds are protected by state and federal laws in the United States. The result is that more than 60 million Americans now engage in birding (casual to intensely serious). Recreational and educational hawk watching, and raptor migration research, for example, now are done during the spring and/or autumn migration seasons at more than 400 raptor migrations watch sites in North America, as well as some similar locations in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and elsewhere.

At Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, in Pennsylvania, for example, 80,000 or more hawk watchers, birders, students on hawk watching field trips, and ordinary tourists visit the world's first refuge for birds of prey every autumn. They enjoy watching and photographing the migrating hawks, learn about them and other wildlife, and admire and photograph the beautiful adjacent landscape.

Educational hawk watching also is part of science programmes in some schools. Indeed, in one Pennsylvania school with which I'm familiar, every sixth grade student receives classroom instruction about the biology and ecology of hawks before going on eagerly anticipated October hawk watching field trips to Bake Oven Knob - a hawk migration watch site a few miles upridge from Hawk Mountain. They take with them binoculars, cameras, clipboards, bird identification field guides, special field data forms on which they write down their hawk counts and related weather information, and carry with them their lunch, and boundless enthusiasm. The scene could not be more different, and very welcome, than what I saw in 1956 when I visited hawk shooting blinds (hides) observing and documenting hawk shooting activities.

These educational field trips are carefully structured outdoor learning experiences. Two or three teachers accompany students on these field trips to answer questions, and provide supervision. Upon returning to school, the students examine, organise and analyse their hawk migration data. Some even prepare mini reports.

Thus, what began as senseless hawk shooting along the Kittatinny Ridge, in Pennsylvania, evolved into very successful educational hawk watching opportunities at many former hawk shooting sites after hawks received legal protection.

Many millions of Americans (and Canadians) also enjoy backyard bird feeding and improving the wildlife habitat values of their backyards by planting native wildflowers, shrubs, and trees, adding small shallow pools of fresh water slowly circulated by small electric pumps, and proudly posting signs as wildlife sanctuaries on their backyard habitats. I discuss these activities, habitat enhancement methods, and achievements in The Complete Backyard Birdwatcher's Home Companion.

An increasing number of people in North America also are creating special flower gardens especially designed to attract butterflies. Indeed, the biodiversity and economic values of protecting and conserving wildlife is flourishing in North America.

These activities collectively generate hundreds of millions of dollars of legal and desirable wildlife-related activities - exactly the sort of activities that could bring additional wildlife tourism money to Maltese businesses, boosts the Maltese economy, and significantly enhances the worldwide reputation of the Maltese people and their islands.

I urge Maltese residents who do not approve of illegal bird shooting and trapping to contact their government officials and insist they immediately put a permanent stop to the senseless bird shooting and trapping activities.

Malta then can follow the successful American model, make modern advances in wildlife protection and conservation, and begin developing the international reputation of the Maltese islands as desirable destinations for hawk watching, birding, and nature photography. That means increased wildlife tourism money flowing into the Maltese economy.