Maurice G. Agius, San Ġwann.
Spring hunting
I must, first of all, make it clear that I am not in favour of hunting in spring; I am, in fact, against any bird shooting at all.
However, I cannot allow the European Commission's faulty reasoning to pass by without comment.
I quote: "The Commission argues that the hunting of such migratory birds takes place during the return from Africa to breeding grounds in Europe, before they have had a chance to reproduce and the impact on bird numbers is therefore more significant than it would be in autumn or winter".
The birds migrating back to Europe are the same birds that flew over Malta on their way to Africa in autumn except for those that did not make it for one reason or another. The young birds shot down in autumn obviously did not have a chance to reproduce; the young birds returning to Europe in spring also had not yet had a chance to reproduce but, at least, they had enjoyed six months of living and fun in the wilds of Africa.
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Nyal Xuereb
Mar 2nd 2008, 10:48
Dear Gordon Camenzuli, if you owned land easily accessible from roads or footpaths you will want to have someone “protecting” YOUR land from ramblers when you are not there. Believe me, the worst people are those ramblers who do NOT stick to footpaths. Unfortunately in Malta the trespassing law is very weak. Try intruding over private land on foreign soil. Malta is like many other counties; the countryside is very much privately owned. Look at what happened at “Majjistral” or as others knew it: Ix-Xaghra il-Hamra. The government had to either evict or buy out farmers and land owners. And anyhow, there ARE paths in the countryside which are privately owned; just do some proper research at the lands departments to see for yourself.
Gordon Camenzuli
Feb 29th 2008, 17:37
Dear Mark Mifsud Bonnici. Don't you think that its also the hunters who are denying a day (or a life time) of fun, by blocking footpaths as their own private property all over the islands' countryside. Maltese citizens and foreigners alike have the right to ramble around in the countryside without being threatened.
lawrence azzopardi
Feb 29th 2008, 17:24
Hunting has been around since the creation of men. Why are we now so fussy about it when now it has been controlled with many regulations, We we are showing so much sympathy about migrating birds when almost all of us would like to have a well cooked dish of paultry for lunch.
Joseph Galea
Feb 29th 2008, 14:32
Instead of arguing about spring or autumn why cannot one accept that the killing of any living creature for 'sport' is sickening!
Christian Abdilla
Feb 29th 2008, 13:04
So what are we saying here ? That it is ok to illegally shoot birds in Spring becase at least they will 'die happy' ??
Joe Martinelli
Feb 29th 2008, 12:55
Killing birds is no fun!
If destroying things get the hunters a high, why not try skeet shooting?
Nyal Xuereb
Feb 29th 2008, 12:27
This article has two valid points: first, that the European Commission itself is still accepting that Maltese hunters, like all other EU hunters, may hunt birds before reproducing; hunting birds 1 month, 3 months or 6 months before reproducing is still before. Secondly, I think it is worse hunting in autumn than in spring cause most of the birds would be only around 2 months old! At least in springs they would have been fully fledged adults.
Steve Pace Spadaro
Feb 29th 2008, 11:33
Very good points stated. Hunting has a bad effect in any season. Not to mention that lead is still poisonous, even in autumn and winter.
As to Mr. Mark Mifsud Bonnici's comment...
Yes, most of us do not tolerate hunting. Killing a living creature can never be accepted as a hobby.
The birds have a right to live as much as you and me.
Kenneth Cassar
Feb 29th 2008, 11:31
No, Mr Mifsud Bonnici, his reasoning soes not smell of "intollerence".
The EU also recognizes the right to divorce and abortion. I wonder what is your opinion on this.
Our logic leads one to believe that the right to life is a much more fundamental right than the right to any enjoyment derived from killing.
mark mifsud bonnici
Feb 29th 2008, 09:50
Your reasoning smells of intollerence. Are you not aware that the European Commission unlike yourself recognises the right to hunt. Your logic leads one to believe that whilst you recognise a birds right to enjoy six months of living and fun in the wilds of Africa, you do not tollerate a hunters right to a lifetime of fun in the wilds of Malta
Mark Grixti
Feb 29th 2008, 09:38
I truly cannot get the gist of this article. Is Mr. Maurice Aguis claiming that hunters are being much kinder to birds by shooting them in spring? this defies all logic in my opinion!