Hunters in fresh appeal for hunting season to open

I write to show my disappointment with regards the spring hunting season closure. At this time of the year on week ends and public holidays i wake up at 3.30 am in the morning to prepare my things before we go to out private owned land to hunt turtle dove and quail together with our dog. Even if we go up hunting and we catch nothing , we meet other hunters say a word or two and cook something in the country side is something that non hunters cannot understand. I've been going hunting with my father from the age of 8 today im 14.

To: Dr. Borg Cardona
Dear Sir, I've just learnt that you practice law in Malta. By the looks of things you seem to be a Jack of all trades and Master of none. You broad Knowledge makes you some new Minister that Gonzi never appointed.

I suggest you take more interest in your Work as a lawyer and leave the countryside problems to us (HUNTERS) I really cant understand how you dont tire trying to match every statement on the net. You should try as an MEP next round. Who knows?

I am no hunter and neither abolitionist...I enjoy the countryside as well as the birds flying (if I manage to see one). After all these statements made by all I can add one thing. The ECJ will decide against spring hunting and we Maltese as subservients to Brussels and must obey or else...this is the EU, a club with no windows...so now we can rest in peace that I, as a Maltese feel protected by faceless bureaucrats in Brussels that decide what Malta should do or not. I will always thank those people who voted for the EU and the conditions imposed on us and the good laugh recalling the benefits of joining the EU. I , for one cannot handle anymore the joy that the EU has brought me. Putting the irony aside, I built my own boat and decided to go to Africa (as an illegal immigrant as African nations shoulder the burden of the number of illegal immigrants) and enjoy the birds coming from the EU flying the EU flags with the blue and the stars and singing...iva flimkien kollox possibli...have a nice day and so long hunting season. If any hunters have any land for sale please contact someone to convert it into a discotheque and I am sure you will have a greater chance of getting the permit rather than spring hunting.

Paul A. Camilleri
Being a Nationalist I decided not to vote in the last election, thus holding onto my vote as a sign of Protest as our dear Prime Minister decided to close our spring hunting season 2007 on the 10th of May. For what this Government has done this time (depriving us from exercising our pastime) I can assure you all that next time all 4 votes of my family will be put away in the lower drawer. Let me ask all the people that are writing RUBBISH, if during the Election meetings Dr. Sant was ridiculed by our Prime Minister that what was agreed upon in the pre-entry treaty to the E.U. is final. So pls explain, how by the same token the E.U. can decide to change or take away 1 or more from the 77 special arrangements. If so, then let us all ask ourselves.. ARE WE MEMBERS IN THE E.U. or not? If in this case spring hunting is taken away, it will be thanks to the Hunters who at the end voted Nationalist, not entirely their fault, as they put their trust in Dr. Gonzi.

PM MUST TAKE DECISION.INTERIM MEASURES ARE BEING IMPLEMENTED AS THE SPRING HUNTING SEASON IS STILL NOT OPEN.HOW CAN THE PM CONVINCE EU WITH THIS ATTITUDE? BY THE POSITION TAKEN MALTA IS ADMITTING A DEFEAT IN THE CASE AGINST US. ALL PEOPLE WHO VOTED YES IN EU REFERENENDUM VOTED YES FOR SPRING HUNTING SEASON TO OPEN EACH YEAR.

Dear Mr. Serracino Inglott.

One cannot have a referendum on each issue of the country or else we may have a referendum on hunting, fireworks, fishing, smoking etc. Well you name it and you have a referendum and all public funds are spent doing this.

May I remind you and everybody else that spring hunting was promised prior to the 2003 referendum and that it would be retained even after EU accession. Before 2003 when hunters were very undecided because of the spring hunting season , pro-EU persons would go to the same hunters encouraging them to vote 'yes' because the EU was promising that hunting in spring would be retained. Now we have the same people changing their minds saying that since we are in the EU spring hunting has to stop. Or maybe someone else such as Birdlife is making them change their minds because of its anti-hunting campaign.

May I also remind Mr Serracino-Inglott that something similar to his hunting referendum idea was the 2003 general election when AD was contesting. AD was in favour of EU memebership and made it very clear that it was against spring hunting. So those in favour of membeship had the choice to enter with or without spring hunting. However AD did not even manage to get a seat in parliament let alone winning the election. This is because that for the majority of the population hunting is no big issue. Only hunters and anti-hunters are fussing about it. Another case to prove how many people are interested in this issue is last week's walk held by Birdlife when as stated in this website only 150 people turned up including 'numerous environmental organisations' and 'international ornithologists.'

About clay shooting and hunting; Has Mr. Serracino-Inglott tried both of them before commenting on one replacing the other?

Dear P Fenech, unfortunately I opened the document (your link) expecting an EU document. Alas, it was only a MIC document which has a value of absolutely zero. It is not MIC that makes the EU regulations.

Being the abolitionist that I am, I will of course once again be honest and say that I would relish the abolition of all hunting, for the simple reason that hunting unnecessarily deprives birds of their lives.

That said, I must also honestly say that I do understand that the convenient hesitation of the government to declare whether it will open the spring hunting season is unfairly creating a lot of mental anguish in the hunting community. I can certainly understand that it is not easy for a hunter, who has hunted in spring throughout most of his life, suddenly finds himself unable to do so legally.

Of course, if the government had thought about it (and to be honest, I'm only being practical here), it would have shortened the spring hunting season incrementally each year until there was no spring hunting season when we became EU members. This would have allowed hunters to slowly adapt. Too late for that now, although perhaps most hunters would have opposed this anyway.

I also must comment about the persistent bringing up of abortion in the hunting debate. Let me make it clear once and hopefully for all. The EU does not care at all about the individual lives of birds. If it did, it would end bull-fighting...and why stop there...it would ban the killing of any non-human animal. The EU only wants to ban spring hunting for environmental and conservation reasons.

Regarding the government's promise that spring hunting would be retained, this is certainly true, and I can in a way sympathize with hunters who rightly feel deceived. However, politicians should never make promises that they might not be able to keep, and the people who believe them without checking the facts, do so at their own risk.

Now that we are EU members, the final say in the issue rests with the ECJ, which is what I have been saying for years.

Dear Mr Serracino inglott, sincerely I can not understand how you can compare hunting to smoking a cigarette and drinking a pint of beer. I dont think that the latter is even a hobby but let us elaborate a bit. You can not smoke in a pub but you can smoke outside or at home so almost nothing changed, instead for our hobby we can say its almost gone because the best hunting season for Maltese hunters is in spring. Another thing is that I am a hunter and still smoke a cigarette now and then and like drinking beer like you do.
Regards,
Malcolm.

Hunting season should open with no further delays. This is what politicians and EU Officials have agreed on prior to our accession to the EU and this is what we voted on. For those close minded people who just throw all hunters in one basket(Law abiding and not) I wish to tell them to follow the link below and see what was agreed.

I also urge the president to make his pressure to honor his word. After all he signed the treaty and the commission now is telling us that that is worth nothing. Not to mention that this will be a very dangerous precedent to the other 70+ derogations we managed to negotiate.

Who is right, the EU commission or our politicians?

Please click and read....

http://www.forummalta.gov.mt/Portals/FME/Documents/AGGSE14e_Environment.pdf

I wish that a referendum will be conducted to deduce who is in favour of hurting birds whether legally or illegally or who loves freedom of the skies to quails or eagles. Let the people decide; the majority will have its way. One of my hobbies was smoking a cigarette while drinking a pint of beer in a pub. This is no longer possible. I submitted willingly and I gave up smoking ( but not the beer). The hunters should give up destroying birds and the peace in the country and resort to clay bird shooting at private clubs even if the government digs into its coffers to help them set up these clubs. I pray that the hunters will be no hunters anymore and live happily after. Where there is a will there is a way.

The govt has indeed been elected by the people to safeguard our interest, and the vast majority of the population are against spring hunting. I'm sure it causes anguish since hunters have spent decades doing as they pleased flouting the law and getting away with it, you're obviously humiliated because you're not half as powerful as you thought you were, you're like everyone else, and if everyone else obeys the law you so should you, and yet shots can be heard all over the island, loaded guns hidden in picnic areas ...
Birdlife is not misleading anyone cause we all know what has been happening for ages, those approx 300,000 protected species you were allowed to register or rather approx 16% of hunters actually registered,
the govt should mark public land and paths as public and let people enjoy spring, CAUSE THATS WHAT THE VAST MAJORITY WANTS and if it means that 4% of the population can't kill birds in spring so be it, the other 96% can enjoy PUBLIC countryside without having to cover their eyes everytime they hear a shot.

Dear Clifford John,
So you are admitting that with close season you can still gunshots. That is the way it will be as there are certain people who are still not educated enough to limit themselves to legal hunting. The irony is that I am here replying to your letter while I should be having some good sleep to wake up at 04:00 tomorrow to go out hunting legally had the government not decided to tie his decision to the ECJ. Limiting seasons and increasing penalties will never stamp out illegal hunting like any other illegal activity. People will get wiser and more organised but those who only want to practice their hobby with a free mind and as a purely recreational practice are not comfortable hunting with fear of other people and police officers so they choose to stay at home full of passion and maybe envy not to mention retro memoires.
Can you mention one illegal practice that police have managed to control to the full ?
How on earth do you want to control illegal hunting if the only hunting that can take place must be illegal. Even a total ban on hunting will never stop illegal hunting and you must agree with me on that. Why should hunters with a genuine code of ethics suffer the consequences. Today I doubt everything and everyone. Like what is the use of having a signed guarantee by EFA when in the last weeks or months he has not lifted a finger to ensure that guarantee is honoured.

The time is 7.40 PM ,just approaching dusk, but still light enough to shoot apparently because as I type I can hear the sound of shotguns coming from Wied Garnow , as I have every day since the hunting season ....did NOT open? The same awful sound I have heard wherever I go Since the hunting season did NOT open.
As for all the same pathetic excuses to justify what passes for hunting here in Malta, Abortion,Bull fighting,they are worse than us in ..wherever...and so on, Leave it out. Pointing an accusing self righteous finger at someone who robs 10 does not make one who robs 9 any better.

Dear Robert, it was a pleasure reading your post - although I don't agree with all of it of course! ;) ;) If I may, I'd like to explain the reason I honestly feel our tradition is still valid AND sustainable - both in a practical and a legal sense (EU law) - and perhaps also give you and other readers a bit of perspective:

The 2 species of game birds in question are the quail and turtle dove. Both are listed by birding organisations as being species of the "Least Concern" category i.e. prolific and non-endangered. Since the Maltese Islands are NOT on ANY main migratory route (the closest is 150km away!), we get a fraction of the total migration in Spring due to our position.....and this is very much subject to the weather. The Autumn migration is far, far, far poorer, leaving Spring as the only viable alternative. And our total bag falls well within the parameters allowed for by the same Birds Directive being waved around. We do not have the luxury of being an England, whose hunters enjoy umpteen derogations to shoot 24/7, 365 days a year. They shoot woodpigeon, crows, rooks, jays, magpies, several species of gulls (most are PROTECTED in Malta!), rabbits, foxes etc. They derogate on certain grounds, we on others. All we're asking for are 2 - and the EU knew about it, the Maltese electorate knew about it, Birdlife knew about it, MIC knew about it etc. and all agreed to it. Letters were actually sent to each hunter and trapper guaranteeing it in writing and signed by the Prime Minister.
We feel we have been found guilty and sentenced before being proved innocent -


I agree with you that illegal hunting of whatever form and sort is indefensible and must be stamped out I wish for fair and effective enforcement, as the present situation is ineffective and unfair to law-abiding hunters.

I agree it's ironic that the hunting and birding communities ultimately have the environment very much to heart. It's a pity that these same birders now seem to be more hunt-the-hunters than pro-birds, especially when in 2003 they expressed their hope that the Government would stick to its promise and regulate spring hunting to ensure ONLY quail and turtle dove are taken.

I agree that many anti-hunters should step back and spare a thought for farmed fish, mass-produced chickens, pigs, cows etc. etc.

I agree the hunting community should unite to do its share and give full support in stamping out illegalities.

And finally, I definitely agree that many, many more of us simply want to hunt in peace, within the law, and to continue eating those meals........which, I assure you, are some of the healthiest delicacies you can imagine!!!!

I think hunters need to be reminded of what the EU stands for. That we have now required rights like entering the Schengen Area and not really treated as foreigners by these EU countries. Joining the EU is about sharing of sovereignty, and EU citizens cannot be considered as foreigners anymore. These "foreigners" have also the right to work and live here, remember?

Come on FKNK, realise that Malta has moved on and you cannot keep back the progress the country is having from joining the EU in many aspects of our lives. This is what the country wants.

The hunters on this island have been labeled with countless names lately,losers, killers,unlawful,bullies,etc,etc.
Let me remind you people that in every entity,company ,department,body and organisation,etc on this island of ours there always exists the extremist part of that group but it would be immature of anyone -and it's not carried out -to call that entire entity corrupt or non credible.
So let's not put all these man in one basket and call it rotten.The majority of the hunters are law abiding and this majority is being unjustly credited with the minority's wrong doing.
By the way,NOT a single official statement has been issued to deny what is being said that restricted hunting in spring was promised prior to EU referendum last election and in writing.To me this acceptance of these statements

As far as I know, throughout Europe and most of the world, sustainable hunting of game bird species, at particular times of the year (this is why, in general terms spring hunting is considered unacceptable) is generally considered as an acceptable utilisation of biodiversity. It is, in itself neither better nor worse than other activities that result in ending a creatures life for the provision of food, even though the activity is now more of a recreational nature. From the point of view of ending a creature's life, sustainable hunting is neither better nor worse than fishing, fishfarming, livestock rearing etc, many of which are part of different societies' way of life and which have been instrumental in the development of human societies around the world.

Of course, for ethical reasons a number of people opt for an alternative lifestyle which negates all these activities, for example opting for a vegan lifestyle. So in this case it is consistent to criticise all these activities, rather than singling out hunting per se

This does not mean that the hunting model that we have been exposed to in Malta is acceptable or sustainable. For many decades, there were no laws regulating hunting, and birds which are not considered as game in any civilised country were shot with impunity. Unfortunately, even though laws have now been present for a number of years, and the practice has declined somewhat over recent years, illegal hunting of protected species is still a problem, sometimes undermining valuable conservation work done in other European countries. Illegal hunting is still more widespread than most hunters, even law abiding ones would like to admit. Instead of constantly criticising birdlife, which is after all only doing its job, law abiding hunters and their associations should do more, and be seen to do more to curb illegal hunting. Just condeming illegal hunting and saying that it is a matter for the police to deal with is simply not enough.

After all illegal hunting is the common enemy of both birdlife (whose members would rather get on with birdwatching and conservation projects rather than spending so much time and resources dealing with illegal hunting) as well as the law abiding hunters (who would simply like to continue with the traditional practice of sustainable hunting for a number of game species that end up as healthy meals).

Dear Karwin, your reply very clearly demonstrates that you have taken a position, dug your heels in and refuse to enter into a civilised discussion. So do I call you a tweetie-loving tree hugger in response to your words like "bird killer" etc and start a slanging match?

I choose NOT to do so, because at the end of the day I have my hobby, sport, passion....call it what you want....and you may have yours. There is ALWAYS room for compromise and ALWAYS room for improvement. There is NO ROOM for extremism of any sort including yours as well as illegal hunting, which, may I point out to you, is not the issue here.

Finally, I quoted you some statistics simply to encourage you not to throw stones in European glasshouses.

It is incredible how people prefer to express their wrath instead of trying to reason. Have any time Birdlife presented relevant true scientific data about migration in Malta? Did they used the 'carnet de chasse' collected from all hunters? I suggest that Maltese people need to grow up to perceive all those whose their single intention is to bisect the population and distract minds from other more serious environmental hazards.

Unfortunately we have Birdlife Malta boycotting the unique independent study initiated by the government and performed by professional people. Instead they are joining forces with foreign counterparts who present themselves as 'professionals' while admitting of leaving Malta still without knowing how a trapping site looks like! Will somebody mind giving me a worth explanation why all these obstacles from the behalf of Birdlife -supposed to be - Malta?

Mr Joe Perici Calascione has stated that every day that passes is a day taken from the life of hunters. I like to state that it would sound more just when one says that every day that passes with no hunting is a day where innocent migrating birds keep on living .

Dear L.Borg,
Please understand that the FKNK and hence Maltese Hunters are not demanding any exemption from EU directives when demanding the opening of the Spring Hunting season.
It is written black on white that any member state may apply a derogation from the Birds Directive and open the Spring Season for any species he deems necessary and justifiable.
This was the thinking prior to accession and after accession. The question nobody put forward until now is the following:
The reason why we are in the ECJ is because the Maltese Hunters were allowed to hunt in spring or because the necessary reports and figures needed to justify the need for applying the derogation were never sent or were inadequate. This would not be the hunters fault but the fault of the government himself. Ironically only the hunters stand to lose if this is the case. Let us hope that this storm settles down in the quickest manner and with a positive outcome and that future applications of the derogations are followed by all the necessary documentation in order to avoid such troubles. Always if the above is the case.

This one goes to Mr Gatt- statistics lover/bird killer...
Dr Mr Gatt, I am by no means unaware of hunting in other European countries... in the act of killing innocent birds a hunter perpetrates what is an inherent desire to destroy nature around him. As you seem to be very well informed about the ongoing massacre in other European countries you must also be aware of other statistics which deal with land/population proportions and precentages...
Europe's idea about hunting is based upon a wish to eradicate a mentality which is shameful a priori... no pathetic excuse can justify the cruelty of ending a creatures life

Mr. McDonald is correct. Things and times change. In South Carolina, USA, they have found a way of “preserving a grand tradition”! They have actually made a business out of it, and they provide you with guides and dogs. They have even established “junior shooting schools and camps.” Similar institutions and businesses are found all over the US. Mr. McDonald might wish to take a look at the following links, and select the game in the second link to see how much people pay for such hunting packages:

http://www.harrissprings.com/

http://www.harrissprings.com/services/hunting/index.php

May I suggest to Birdlife to write to its US counterpart Audubon to put pressure on all US hunters and to close down all the hunting clubs, businesses, schools and TV stations. Can Birdlife let us know how many birds are hunted in the US, and what percentage of that amount is bagged in Malta?

The foreigners attending the spring watch have every right to be here. They are legitimate tourists and, like anybody else they have every right to report abusive and illegal behaviour, in this case poaching. It is not because of the bird camp that people who spent thousands of liri to buy their own land where to hunt cannot enjoy their land but it is because this spring the hunting season has not been opened.

Of course, irrespective of whether one accepts or tolerates spring hunting for these two species or not, this does not mean that hunters are not justified in demanding that the spring season for traditional hunting of turtle dove and quail should be opened - this was promised by our authorities in clear, unequivocal terms before the EU referendum.

the only real victims are the defencless birds that fly over malta not the hunters also any hobby remains a hobby as long thier is no oppostion
in this case hunting has a strong maltese public opposition.
also the maltese economy does not spin on hunting but on our future in europe so we have to go by european law for a better future for malta and our chlidren

Maltese Bird Killers, eh, dear Karwin Karwinski-Cassar? Please get informed before you sling mud. You have NO IDEA about the realities of this issue, and as to the European mentality you seem to be so proud of........well............have a look below. And before you react, no, these are not figures invented by me, but data collected by the Germany-based anti-hunting extremists called CABS. Dunno which country you're from, but your fellow citizens seem to be much better bird killers than us, eh??!! As usual, blah blah blah and no facts.

Europe's hunters kill 100 million birds annually
The most significant result of this detailed study is that Europe's hunters officially shoot more than 100 million birds each year – laid beak to tail the total bag would circle the planet! The transport of these serried ranks of game, with a total weight of some 66,000 metric tons, would require the load capacity of almost 7,000 normal trucks.
Of all 27 countries studied, France heads the list of bird slaughterers with some 25 million birds shot annually, followed by the UK (22 million) and Italy (17 million). Germany lands just outside the 'medals' with 6th place and 2.3 million shot birds.

Sorry Mario Debono, Where is the mental anguish of the many hunters who are breaking the law twice by gunning down birds when the season is not open and to add insult to injury are killing birds of prey?! Apologies and thanks to the very few hunters who are abiding by the law.

Dear Mr. Scott McDonald,

As i understood you are pretending that people who spent thousands of liri to buy their own land where to hunt cannot enjoy their land because of the bird camp. I think that bird camps should not be there since its not their own land and camping is only permitted in camping zones.

Dear Mr Debono, your comment just goes to prove at best how misinformed you are or at worst how misinformed you want the general public to be. No appeal was presented to shoot "down anything that flies". The appeal regarded our traditional and cultural hunting practices which have always revolved around the spring hunting of turtle dove and quail. Do not confuse or try to confuse two completely separate issues such as shooting of protected birds with the traditional practice of hunting turtle doves and quail in Spring.

For all the Birdies out there ready to pounce on the issue of tradition, yes I do dare tell you, its what gives us an identity and distinguishes us from the various practices abroad. Whilst at it, have you ever stopped to consider the full extent of your deeds? Have you ever considered how many backs you and unfortunately all of us will have to scratch in return for the big favours on the Spring hunting issue?

You have lost all decency, selling away our national pride in return for your narrow issue. You have shown us to be weak and submissive. Have you ever considered how this will be interpreted when big brother decides on other issues? Shame on you all!

And on this last point, dear J. Cardona, how has the local Birdie co defended Maltese interests and safeguarded the same rights of the nation which you so thwartingly imply??? By seeking the boycotting of tourism as was the favourite tactic until just recently?? By washing dirty linen in our neighbours yards???

Shortly we may all be thanking our Birdie fraternity for the loss of not just the traditional Spring hunting. Birdlife malta to satisfy its narrow interests has opened a pandora's box, who's it going to be to sort things out then?

The general public had better beware the present tactics and by whom they are deployed. Foreigners employed locally enjoy a salary and may be seen to work hard to earn it . But dare I say that they have no special fondness for our country if the fact that they achieve their ends ultimately justifies their means to get them.

Richard Cachia Zammit... I'll give you a better one - The foreigners who are attending the spring watch are not just interfering but are now even doubling as policeman and at the same time ridiculing our police force. You have to admit it, they are here for nothing more than confrontation and provocation. The association you are so fond of are helping them out in all this.

Every day that goes by is a day given back to hope that in the near future our nation will be truly European, with a European mentality... NO MORE BIRD KILLERS IN MALTA!

Intimidated by foreigners! You mean the spring bird watch camp, well I don’t see why as the hunters shouldn’t even be out there!

Also, things change, the law changes, EU law changes and if the law has to change to stop spring hunting because it has become a needless blood bath, then good, so it should change. I do however feel genuinely sorry for the legitimate hunter who is after food. But as we all know, that’s about 1% of the FKNK membership!

Referendum please. The rest of us have to listen to hunting which breaks me and I am sure others with every shot and how can the countryside be enjoyed by anyone when hunting is going on. To distressing for words rather than a peaceful walk in nature.

The ECJ has not taken a decision against spring hunting yet, so why has the spring hunting season not opened yet? Should a pending decision have the same outcome as a negative decision, if the latter would be the case?

While Birdlife has every right to promote its views, its rights are not higher than the rights of Maltese hunters. There are so called “basic human needs” among which we find - security, identity and recognition - and these needs have to be satisfied if we wish to avoid or address conflict.

Has it occurred to any body that spring hunting contributes to the identity of Maltese hunters? Maltese hunters might not have an absolute right to spring hunting, but they certainly have a right to their identity no matter what Birdlife thinks.

The EU bird directives were enacted when Malta was not an EU member, and Malta was therefore not in a position to express itself on such matters. Now that Malta is an EU member, is it not time to seek the support of hunting federations in other EU countries to revisit the bird directives and seek the appropriate changes or amendments?

Listening to the birds singing in the morning in spring is a positive experience, but that should not be at the expense of or to deprive Maltese hunters from practicing their tradition for a couple of weeks in accordance with the law. The two should not be incompatible. Some form of reconciliation between the two positions is needed.

There is very little traditional in the way hunting is now carried out here in Malta. What is traditional about fast speedboats, repeaters and electronic bird callers? Even the Maltese hunting dog is being replaced by more fancy foreign breeds. And as for humiliation, we Maltese are being humiliated by the fact that notwithstanding the close season, yet many poachers roam our countryside and this is what the FKNK should be humiliated about because, irresponsible shooters are the real enemy of the local hunters as they are the ones who give Malta a bad reputation. The foreigners are not interfering but they are protecting their birds which in the coming months will be breeding in their countries whilst Birdlife are doing their job to stop illegal hunting.

It is high time that the authorities stand up to defend the right of the rest of the nation. We all have a right to enjoy our already depleted environment, and rather then granting the permission to destroy the few enjoyable creatures we have around, the government should do its utmost to safeguard it.

Mario, your sarcasm will get you nowhere. You are not a hunter ( and hopefully with an attitude like yours you never will be ). This is like a fisherman who has the sea bubbling with let's say lampuki and not be able to cast his lures. Or the football enthusiast whose favourite team is playing the cup final and not be able to switch on his television. One is born a hunter and this becomes deeply ingrained in your life.. you can NEVER imagine what we are going through and the FKNK council is going through no less believe me. Keeping a season closed because of blatantly obvious delaying tactics by the ECJ is sending frustration levels to a peak.

Re: comment by Mario Debono:
Hunters are practising something that they have been doing all their lives? Hunters don't aim to break your heart. They don't need anyone to sympathise with them. They don't even want to have anything to do with you. They're a community who can fend for themselves, and, for as much as I know, they have never done anything to humiliate you, or to spoil your hobby. They have been promised something which they now cannot have. So why all these black arrows towards these people, who, after all, for all I know, may be some of your relatives too...

Please mind your own business and find something better to do with your time...

Mr. Debono,
Hunters become hunters before they become husbands and fathers so their hobby has been inside them for the great majority of their life.
Local hunters get a close chance to emulate hunters in other countries only on one or two occasions during the spring migration when this happens. One was already last Monday so one can say that this seasons big day is already over.
You make fun of Mental Anguish when this is happening. Imagine it was something close to your heart, What would be your reaction ??
Hunters are losing something which is being stolen. All this without a valid reason apart from the fact that science can show that we are right. This obviously for those who want to listen.....

Dear Mr Debono,

This is the tolerance that we have to show with each other, this is the real mentality of people against hunting and trapping. It is right to have your opinion about hunting and trapping but here you are not condemning hunting but hunters.

Hunters and Trappers are fighting for the right to hunt and trap as the European Union Promised to them when accepting the derogation. Your fight is for nothing and without case since your point is not against hunting and trapping hobbies but against hunters and trappers.

Mr. Debono

Hunters have lost their promised right to hunt. And yes, there is mental anguish indeed. You obviously have no idea how depressing it is when something you love dearly is taken away from you, especially after an authority promised you it wouldn't take it away from you. More mental anguish is being caused because law abiding hunters are being put in the same pot as criminals (the ones who don't respect the law and hunt anyway).

Ooh poor guy Mr Debono.... he must be so broken hearted because his migrating birds have continued with their journey north to their European breeding grounds and haven't stopped to give a shot at breeding in Mr Debono's gardens!! Ooooh what a poor guy!! What a pity!

Mario Debono, here you touched the most deep you can touch. Its incredible that Europe hold people in a particular country from hunting and in the same time pass a law to legalise abortion...we protect a bird but we are not capable to protect a child. Hunters have no right while a woman has all the right to kill the child in her womb.

The season must be open because other countries too hunt in spring...the law has to be equal to all...where is the EU in the bull fighting in Spain or the hunting in England...or the hunting of whales by Northern Countries...where is EU when it comes to illegal immigrants...where is EU in the protection of life from conception to natural death of a person...How can EU be credible when it protects a tree or an animal but does not protects a child...This is the modern Holocaust of the innocent....Blame be Europe for denying her roots.

Dear Mr Debono,

Clearly you are an extremist. No matter which side you are on, extremism is wrong.
The hunters are only appealing for legitimate hunting which was promised to them and was never illegal until we lost our sovreignity.

These hunters break my heart......mental anguish because they can't gun down anything that flies .