Government stance on hunting season criticised
The St. Hubert Hunters (KSU) in a statement deplored the judgement of the European
Court of Justice (ECJ) which banned spring hunting in Malta this year.
“It seems to us that the efforts of the government's defence team to present a strong case were undermined by the government’s failure to declare the spring hunting season open on the 10th of April, this date being the latest on which the season was ever opened,” the association said.
The government should have declared the season open with effect from 10th April to back up its belief in a right it claimed to have. At the same time it should have informed the ECJ of its action, adding as a sign of respect that if and when the ECJ decided against an open season, the government would have closed it, the association said.
“In the absence of an explanation by the Maltese government as to what prevented it from declaring the hunting season open as from the 10th April under the proviso described above, we conclude that the government’s inaction went against the interests of its defence team,” the association said.
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In Discussion
16 Comments
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Paul A. Camilleri
May 2nd 2008, 13:27
RM Cachia
Why is it that people like Mr. Cachia fail to understand, that yes , P.N. Hunters did vote P.N. in the last Election. For myself, I did not. I agree that should there be an election today, not only hunters will vote against this Government but from other walks of life.
As I said many atime, I can assure you of 1 thing , only that the present Government has only 1 seat more than Labour in Parliament. I predict that P.N. will not serve this country its full TERM and finally vengeance is ours.
Paul A. Camilleri
May 2nd 2008, 13:11
John Azzopardi
Dear Mr. Azzopardi, For your guidance, please contact Mr. Peppi Azzopardi of Where's Everybody and kindly ask him ,whether he can furnish you with a copy of his programme (XARABANK) where Mr. Verhaugen himself , as the Commissioner responsible for the ENTRY of Malta into the E.U. DICTATOR BLOCK. You will be surprised to hear the said Commissioner state that Malta as a member state, will still be able to enjoy Spring Hunting. THIS IS ALL ON TAPE
SO please don't go telling us what is what, and who promised who. All I tell you is , that when I answer a statement, it is only the truth.
Fabian Borg
Apr 30th 2008, 21:49
Dear John Azzopardi,
Your statement needs to be revised.
EU did not promise Malta Spring Hunting for Turtle Doves and Quails. That now is common knowledge but again when Malta insisted that it would allow it the EU did not object it either and took note of it. Taking note in diplomatic language means approving without objection.
Your statement also implies that the PN government is a liar and a thief as it rested the minds of thousands of voters who went to the polls with a clear mind without the firm agreement, while then allowed something illegal to occur for four consecutive years against the EU law.
Knowing this are willing to repeat what you said on this public domain....
If you want to treat us as a poor down-trodden minority it is your choice but what goes around comes around so the choice is yours... No Hunting Representative is speaking about breaking laws as far as I know....
John Azzopardi
Apr 30th 2008, 18:37
It is absolutely unbelievable how hunters keep repeating the same statement over and over that EU had promised Malta could have spring hunting! There was never such an agreement. As an EU member Malta must abide by EU laws. If the poor down-trodden minority (i.e. hunters) think for one minute that the rest of the Maltese population would be willing to pay hefty fines so that Malta could contravene EU law so that the hunters can carry on breaking the law, well they should think again.
Veronique Amato Gauci
Apr 30th 2008, 18:13
I wish to share some quotes/brief passages from a book I am currently reading while in the UK listening to birds singing out to their heart's content and my delight at all times of everyday. The said book is entitled 'The Healing Paw' by Billy Roberts.
A few days ago while going through the introduction of the book, I read the following 'physical contact (with animals) is not a prerequisite to receiving healing from an animal nor, I must add, is the ability to discharge healing confined to dogs alone. On the contrary, cats, birds and many other species of animals have a pronounced healing effect upon the human organism. Nor is this healing force confined to domestic pets.......' A bit further ahead but still in the introduction, the author adds that 'a leisurely stroll through the tranquility of secluded woodland is most therapeutic in itself but the accompaniment of birds whistling and singing along our way most definitely introduces some other, more subtle, vibratory sensations to the experience. These vibrations have a profound effect upon the mind and the emotions. I am not talking here about a simple experience of auditory senses. This pleasant phenomenon goes far beyond that. For the musical harmonies of birds singing in the countryside create a healing veil of tranquility which most definitely produces some sort of chemical change in the human brain'. Further comment would be superfluous but how dare this minority, deprive the rest of us of what nature has intended for our general health and wellbeing?
Fabian Borg
Apr 30th 2008, 17:18
IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO GO BACK.
Whoever was blinded in thinking the EU was a heaven will now realise it out of experience. The Referendum was set to be won and not lost and any piece of information distributed to the public was manipulated to say the least.
According to PN at the time it was either EU or DOOM.
According to MLP it was Success as we knew it or Losing sovereignty.
The result spoke by itself.
The FKNK can be attributed as being the only NGO which said exactly what was gonna happen but as soon as their correspondence reached the houses of their members that PM already had a blind folding piece of paper, which nowadays cannot even be used as rough paper, which surely was not intended to change the minds of the MLP hunters but rest assured that no PN Hunter voted against the EU. The real truth always comes out and only the blind of those who choose not to see cannot recognise it.
The government is spending money to try and prove his point. After All it is true that the EU took note that Malta will apply the derogation every year indefinitely.
The same money being spent will not be spent in vain if the government manages to obtain a win from the situation firstly to safeguard the lifestyle and traditions of a big section of the population and secondly to ensure that whatever was previously agreed is not thrown out of the window including the other special arrangements which Malta so successfully managed to obtain.
Nyal Xuereb
Apr 30th 2008, 16:59
One word to describe the government’s position on the issue: Premeditated
Nyal Xuereb
Apr 30th 2008, 16:49
Mr. Cachia, you are completely wrong. Thousands of PN votes were hunters' votes, but today I know even ministerial employees who are so distraught at their own employer, and that the ministers, prime minister and the now president lied to them that they are even ready to leave their workplace. I know many who vouched to given the PN a lesson next time round either by not voting or voting for someone else. I bet my bottom dollar that should an election be held the result would be close to 40% for the PN, and they know it.
Joseph Grech-Attard
Apr 30th 2008, 16:33
Cachia
Let's get this clear. The 800,000 Euros spent were our money, yours and mine, and not the PN's!
It would also be news to hear that PN MPs and even Ministers who are hunters ( and i happen to know a couple) voted against EU and on favour of MLP!
B.Farrugia
Apr 30th 2008, 14:45
Please Mr. Cachia...... if all the hunters sided up with MLP......it would have been a 100% win. Believe me. I am a hunter and I know many friends of mine who have again voted for the PN because they believed his promises. Today they are really sorry. But its a little too late to go back...
B.Farrugia
Apr 30th 2008, 14:39
The government had not mantained his promise. Although at that time they assured us that hunting for the turtle dove and quail will be maintained, they forgot to tell us that Malta have to write a yearly report to the European Commission justifying our reasons to apply the famous derogation we have obtained. Why hadn't our government issued neither one of the reports from 2004 till now????
RM Cachia
Apr 30th 2008, 14:16
No Mr Fava, I am sure you hunters did not vote neither for Malta to become an EU Member, nor for a Nationalist government. Neither your organisation FKNK nor each hunter personally, ever appears to have said one good word about the PN Government. Always in favour of the MLP. And to tinge it all, the PN Government has already spend 800,000 euros for the defence team in Brussels to push the hunters' agenda. And for his toil and trouble, the hunters thank the PN Government by siding with the Opposition.
Lucas Rothamel
Apr 30th 2008, 11:26
They better get used to it that there won't be any spring hunting any more. Finally!
paul fava
Apr 30th 2008, 11:24
Nobody seems to care any more about minorities. We hunters/trappers are surely in a minority. But a minority without which Malta could not have joined the European Union. It is truly a shame that the then Prim Minister had given us a written guarantee that our once in the EU no one will touch our Spring Hunting. Everybody knows today in which situation we hunters are in. It clearly transpires that Dr. Eddie Fenech Adami only wanted our votes and nothing more!! If this is fair and just I leave it to you to decide.
Anthony A. Mifsud
Apr 30th 2008, 11:16
A very strong statement, nothing to add.
Defence Team hopeless.
Tony
D.Caruana
Apr 30th 2008, 10:57
I do fear that this was the government's plan all along.