Thursday, 17th April 2008 - 07:36CET
Hunters' federation hits out at comments
The hunters' federation in a statement has criticized comments made by the president of BirdLife Malta and a comment carried in timesofmalta.com.
The FKNK noted that BirdLife's president, Joe Mangion in comments addressed at the FKNKstated: "Why is the FKNK administration so scared of peaceful, non-violent birdwatchers who are here to witness bird migration and report illegal activity? One would expect them to sit with us and report illegal activities too if they genuinely are against illegal hunting."
The federation said that, in the first instance these foreigners "with their interfering attitudes towards the Maltese and Maltese private property are not non-violent birdwatchers, but are here to play policemen on BirdLife's premeditated, provocative and confrontational plan, termed 'spring watch camp".
It said the qualifications requested from these intruders by BirdLife did not even call for anything about ornithology or bird recognition and this was nothing more than an organized man-hunt.
Secondly, the federation asked, had Mr Mangion conveniently overlooked his society's refusal to participate in the government-commissioned study which study they 'rubbished', and which "Joe Mangion's Turkish master and BirdLife's mercenary" ridiculed by saying that government 'should not expect birdies to go along happily hand in hand with the hunters to count birds'.
"Does now therefore Joe Mangion expect hunters to go along happily hand in hand with these foreign busybodies to fabricate further lies about counted birds!"
The federation also referred to a comment on this website by Louis Borg who wrote that "the only solution to stop illegal hunting is to deploy the army with shoot to kill orders at anyone in possession of a gun" which, the federation pointed out, was first carried and then removed.
"This also shows that as always 'The Times' (timesofmalta.com) is too quick when it comes to printing anti-hunting material, plus the fact that these words were printed even if only for a few minutes proves that there are people out there, possibly members of BirdLife (Malta) who are all out to provoke hunters," the federation said.
These comments, it said, were the best example of what constituted incitement to violence and hatred.
RSS
Comments
There is indeed nothing wrong with hunting turtle dove and quail in spring time, 2 very common species in no risk of becoming extinct, as long as it is done in the way it should be done and as long as the hunters eat what they kill. I think its more humane to end a bird's life by pellets rather than mass producing them in confined space with a light bulb hanging infront of them only to be butchered at the right time.
The problem with hunting in Malta is not hunting per se but the indiscipline and law breaking that comes with it. Crank down on those who break the law and create "game keepers" and instill in them the true hunter spirit which is full of respect for nature's bounty.
Personally I no longer hunt in Malta but people who can't afford to do it abroad (and I am not talking about the Egyptian massacre trips which is really what the greens should be trying to ban) shouldn't have their right taken away from them especially if they practice it from their own land.
You mentioned that you are `reluctantly not totally against legal hunting`. This is clear statement and an altruistic one since many practices may not be favoured by all but at least accepted with the parameteres of the law. Most law abiding hunters come from generations of hunters and did not just buy a gun for the fun of killing birds. On the other hand there were genuine cases where one went out hunting with a friend and decided to take up the practice and decided to learn about it and about its history. Holding new licences thus killing the practice within 50 or 60 years will not solve illegalities as poachers will not be limited but will have more place where to roam as more time goes by. Also hunters who have been inheriting lands and traditional tools for the trade will not have the opportunity to teach their children on the beauty of the tradition as this would be dying with them.
I personally posses guns and cartridge loading tools that date back to the early 1900`s and all are in good working order and sometimes used. So should all these end up in a Hunting Museum when I die ?? I will show this world to my son and then it will be up to him whether to take up the practice or not to. Once he inherits everything anyway it will be up to him what to do with the stuff. There have been cases where the practice skips a generation where for example a family only generates females, who rarely turn out to be hunters, but then their same children turn out to love hunting.
The only way forward is to settle any disagreements with the EU, come to a definite set of rules which may remain unaltered for some time including season dates and huntable species. Implement these rules and ensure the law is observed. Offenders brought to justice like in all other irregularities.
Why do the bird hunters keep hiding behind this 'false patriotism' (something like - Malta is only for the Maltese, and only the Maltese can possibly know what is right or wrong in Malta, no other person from anywhere else in the world can possibly be right).
"Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel".
Boswell tells us that Samuel Johnson made this famous pronouncement that patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel on the evening of April 7, 1775. He doesn't provide any context for how the remark arose, so we don't really know for sure what was on Johnson's mind at the time.
However, Boswell assures us that Johnson was not indicting patriotism in general, only false patriotism.
For more of Samuel Johnson's thoughts on patriotism in general, go to the patriotism page.
What FKNK could try to do, if it wants to achieve a vestige of credibility, is eschew the jingoistic, parochial and quasi-racist undertones that pervade many of their public statements.
We are all citizens of the world, now, quite apart from being Europeans.