Friday, 16th May 2008
The rationality of hunting
From the start, I must make clear that this is not a plea for compassion, though some will deny it, but a call for rationality.
Lately countless letters, editorials and opinion pieces have been written on hunting, covering every aspect from hunting dogs up to divine intervention. Hunters' suspicions turned out to be stark reality when, due to flawed pre-accession negotiations by the government, this year's spring-hunting season was banned by the ECJ. The government's obsession to join the EU back in 2004 meant that the deal had to be sealed at any cost, even if obtained by misinformation and half-truths.
Gone are those April days when on seeing the game bag slung across your shoulder, the neighbour would inquire about your catch, or at times ask you for "żewġ gamiem għal brodu" (a brace of turtle doves for broth). Spring hunting was taken for granted and accepted as part of life in spring.
But all of us are now portrayed as camo-clad gunmen, and branded as killing machines.
Patronising foreigners threaten tourism boycotts whilst ignoring the atrocities taking place in their own countries, and foreign abolitionists feed the local media with bursts of sensationalism and over-inflated figures in a frenzy of malicious propaganda. We are accused of destroying Europe's bio-diversity and of practically exterminating the entire Streptopelia turtur species. This is extremely unfair, and also very far from the truth. Hunters come from all rungs of Maltese society and include doctors, bank managers, lawyers and other people of standing. It is also statistically proven that the turtle dove population overall is healthy, and considered widespread and abundant by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The well known fact that local game bags have dwindled is due to changes in bird migratory patterns, heavy urbanisation, increase in night lighting, and other factors unconnected with hunting. One Maltese hunter's catch for the spring-season is on average equivalent to one UK hunter's catch in just one hour of permissible spring shooting.
I honestly believe that all those non-hunters out there find it even more difficult and at times impossible to understand why we hunt. The close contact with an awakening spring countryside, a dewy dawn in spring, the first warm rays of the sun on your face as you wait for the sight of a darting turtle dove or two, the magic moment when your dog stands still on a point, the beating of your heart before the expected rise of a bird, the thrill of a decent shot and subsequent retrieve, all these emotions and feelings make up part of the joys of hunting. And they can never be explained, or understood by someone who is not a hunter himself.
I was brought up to appreciate and nurture hunting as a way of life. It is in fact an integral part of my life and of all those who like me, are real hunters. And hunting is partly what makes us agreeable humans. Those who try to restrict, or worse, to abolish hunting, are acting against our humanity, and that is something I and my fellow hunters will never, repeat never, tolerate or accept.
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Comments
Dear Mr. Butters, did it ever occur to you that CAMBELLS beef broth does contain ''BEEF'' ?
I am very puzzled trying to figure out the meaning of the word Kill. I suppose that to eat Beef broth you have to kill a BULL, to eat fish soup, you have to kill a FISH and to eat Turtle Dove broth you have to kill a Bird. Please explain the differnce of the word KILL to the other two words KILL as 10 people I asked the same question to, could not answer. Please advise.
With reference to your comment earlier on, there has been an improvement in my household, My wife, daughter and son, all agreed to do what PAPA says in the next election. Why? because when we decide, we decide on facts. With regards the MLP, they are the only people that ALWAYS kept their word, when it comes to promises. DO YOU KNOW WHO SAID THE FOLLOWING WORDS.......jUDGE ME ON WHAT I DO AND JUDGE ME NOT ON WHAT I SAY.......NOSTRADAMUS!!!!!!!!
Paul Camilleri simply mentioned the mlp as the sole party who has always kept his promises with the hunting lobby. He had granted and given hunters what was always denied from them by PN governments. Above all, the MLP has never sent anti-hunting personnels to safeguard hunting and trapping in the EU during the negotiations.
Labour has always spoke the truth even when there were hard times for hunters. Unfortunately nowadays we depend on the say of foreigners and therefore local third parties may seem powerless in front of the EU. But I'm sure that Labour in government would have stood up against this injustices and the way the EU is crushing Malta and the Maltese. As a matter of fact, as time goes by, we're getting much more conscious of the huge flaws in our negotiations and lies told to the public in making sure that Malta will be in.
No more than hunters themselves can say what tourists think when they come across a hide or a trapping site. People must recollect the 70's periods where especially UK tourists enjoyed themselves with Maltese hunters while duck shooting. At that time hunting and trapping was respected and also respected by clergymen and others in the police force. Recently during the 90's tourists were well off with hunting practices but were already worried about the disastrous speculation on our countryside. All this is qouted by each and every hunter who happened to greet tourists in his countryside while enjoying his hobby.
The situation turned oppositely when certain third parties which I risk to say, were aided by the government, started to throw mud at the hunters with every possible method, even with lies. From that point onwards no hunter was going to let trespassing in his fields when he is bombarded with a mentality that all the world is against him. And this does not only apply for tourists as the same goes for hikers, picnicers, horse-riders, off-roaders, etc.
Maybe that's where we have to thank all the anti-hunting organisations: tourists are coming to back to Malta for that peaceful period similar to those in the past, and instead spend their time here crying for the "those were the days". Not only have particular forces destroyed the perfect unity between the Maltese themselves, but also damaged seriously the reputation of Malta as being those peaceful, resting and hostile islands!
P. Butters suggested "Go fishing instead or have you shot all those creatures as well?"
Indeed Mr. Butters, if i had to shoot birds with a fishing rod and the birds I caught where to have tails and scales would you then oppose fishing.
Personally i see no difference between the two pastimes. I wonder why you do?
Are you aware of the discovery of 29 swans a heron and a harrier buried in a pit in Bedfordshire in 2007. ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/7036551.stm)
These were shot by irresponsible British hunters. A shameful act if ever there was. However hunting was not banned in the UK. Also this news never made international news as was the case with the killing of swans in Malta. It seems abolitionists in Malta need to expose these atrocities in order to gain support and ignore the harm done to Malta's international image by these actions.
Do we publicize the horrendous driving standards in Malta to warn tourist not to come to Malta for fear of being run over or worse still killed?
Regarding politics, I am sure your son should be mature enough to make up his own mind instead of doing everything papa says and choose who to vote for for himself.. And did Labour give you a sworn declaration stating that they would disregard the ECJ's decisiona and still allow you to hunt away? I don't think so.
You have made it very clear that you are not into eating fresh soup. How can you compare fresh game soup with soup that only the manufacturers know what additives are blended in the mix, only to have a longer expire date. Broth made from fresh game is the real thing and the taste compares to none. You suggested that we try fishing, who told you that fishing is not the next number to be called by the E.U.? Furthermore, please try and explain why the E.U. is so much in favour of abortion when we hear that the majority of countries within the Union have an ever ageing population, thus enabelling illegal immigrants from Africa to work in France , Italy, Germany , Malta, and not forgetting your own country. By the way, the pay these poor people get is barely enough to pay for their daily meals. Have you forgotten that song birds in your country are nearly non existent due to the Tons of Pesticides and insecticides that are daily sprayed onto crops, so people like you can have unspoilt greens at table. The trend within the E.U. now is kill an unborn child and save a bird. Oh, and before I forget, is your countryman still in favour of leaving the E.U. dictator block?
As far as I know, I do not need anybody's permission to air my views the way I see them, as much as you can air yours the way you see them. As you are well aware and as confirmed in your writing I always defended the law-abiding hunters. These do exist in great numbers and nobody can deny it.
One finds the good and the bad in all sectors of society. With your line of reasoning, we should therefore abolish driving because of irresponsible drivers, close the churches because of irresponsible priests, close the Courts because of irresponsible Judges, and close... close... etc. Individuals who present such arguments prove that they do not hold water. I condemn ALL LAW-BREAKERS coming from whichever sector of society, whether it is a hunter, an irresponsible driver or any infringement of the law.
If it crosses your mind that I do not know what intolerance, vindictiveness and mental violence mean, I assure you that YES I DO KNOW. These three bad traits have been inflicted on the law-abiding hunters by those who feel privileged to do so, instead of aiming their attacks at the irresponsible few.
Finally, I would leave it to the law-abiding hunters to judge whether I am doing a good job of defending their traditional pastime and not to declared anti-hunting individuals. You were quite patronising in your comment.: "I said it before and will say it again" are words normally used by parents towards their children and NOT between adult to adult.
"Those who try to restrict, or worse, to abolish hunting, are acting against our humanity, and that is something I and my fellow hunters will never, repeat never, tolerate or accept."
The irony is that we've become an anti-hunting nation trying to throw hunters into Kordin while drugs continues to be spread each time a party is organised. I recollect the hunters' banners "ahjar senter milli l-labra". Unfortunately as time goes by, even those from up high on the ambone will realise what hunting and trapping really meant to all Maltese families!!!
Gone are those April days when on seeing the game bag slung across your shoulder, the neighbour would inquire about your catch, or at times ask you for "żewġ gamiem għal brodu" (a brace of turtle doves for broth).
You need "broth" to feed your family?
Ever tried eating a can of Cambells beef broth instead?
Give it a break.... you have lost the battle.
Go fishing instead or have you shot all those creatures as well?
I am looking forward so much to seeing wild birds flying around Malta on my next visit.
If you're feeling annoyed, dear Lisa, I bet that in communist China or North Korea you wouldn't have to listen to anybody's opinion. Perhaps you should think about moving there if you find freedom of expression to be so offensive.
I love nature and our environment as much as the next guy. However, the facts are that out of all the species of birds in the world, in spring Maltese hunters can hunt just two (2!) of them. And out of all the birds that are caught every year in Europe, the birds caught in Malta account for only a negligible amount. Is this all the destruction and heartlessness Maltese hunters are accused of?
I wasn't even in Malta when I heard about the swan incident. As you must know, many people now have videocams and picture phones so it was inevitable the story got out. I believe it was tourists who spread the story. Maybe Malta should ban tourists so nothing like this gets out again! In the U.K. even stealing certain birds' eggs can get you a jail sentence and it certainly is reported in the press. As it happens, swans are Crown property here and it would have got those people behind bars. The hunters have no-one to blame but themselves for the ban on Spring hunting.
You rightly point out to the rewarding…’close contact with an awakening spring countryside, a dewy dawn in spring, the first warm rays of the sun on your face as you wait for the sight of a darting turtle dove or two, the magic moment when your dog stands still on a point, the beating of your heart before the expected rise of a bird’, and all of us sincerely appreciate these moments.
The crux of the problem lies with the rest, that is, ‘the thrill of a decent shot’ – this is not a requirement to enjoy the aforementioned rewards, and can in fact be redirected either towards a disc or more in tune by using a camera instead of a deadly shotgun.
The thrill that hunters are after – apart from killing birds (but alas also chickens are killed by most of the population) – also denies non-hunters of ALL the other mentioned thrills i.e. enjoying the peaceful countryside, let alone the sight of birds (protected or otherwise). In essence hunters are precluding the general public and tourists from enjoying the countryside in the ideal seasons – thus hunters’ thrill in shooting and killing birds comes at a very high price, which does not denote any compassion nor rationality, and neither altruism.
Before anyone decides what to tolerate or not, a wider evaluation of all aspects involved is humanly possible and called for.
With regard to your reply to Mr Buttigieg, One would think that it is simply logical to presume that if one were against hunting, he would be so regardless of which hunting season it is. Sp no it is not a matter of greed - it is a matter of logic.
SOME hunters fall within the parameters of being criminals because we all know that all this mostly came about because some hunters choose to voluntarily and willingly break the law.
Are you really telling me to tell my 14 year old son to take up knitting or pottery? My son wears pants and not skirts. The day I will ask my son to take up knitting instead of hunting, is the day I see you in the construction trade, building Villas. Please do keep your ridiculous ideas to yourself . Next you'll be telling our sons to vote for the Nationalists next time round. Ha Ha, I dare you to ask my 14 year old,(hunter) who would he be voting for next election? He will tell you LABOUR. The more vindictive statements are splattered on this electronic mail, the more you prove me right for not voting in the last election. Hope you can use this pattern of words, on the next scarf you knit.
There is no point in trying to be rational, with extremists and abolitionists. If someone is not intelligent and rational enough to see beyond the eyes of prejudice and ignorance well that is his problem.
I liked the point that sylvana brought up about mental violence. Well another term could be used and that is psychological abuse. And Hunters, trappers and their families have been subjected to a lot of abuse lately. I still remember the days in secondary school were I used to be called all sorts of names by teachers just because I came from a family with strong hunting traditions. And it seems that today the story remained tha same.
The reality is that some people use the argument that we carry guns just because we are some sort of bullies, terrorists or rambo wannabe!!! On the other hand I think that some people around just want to show how macho they are in standing up to hunters!!!!! Well the courage is derived from the Fact that (Thank God for That) no one ever up until now have been killed with a gun during an argument with maltese hunters. Carrying a gun is just part of hunting and shooting activities all over the world. So my appeal to some pseudo environmentalists is to stop in trying to boost their ego by psychologically abusing any section of the population.
Now I am not denying the fact that some people calling themselves hunters actually have behavioural problems, like any other sector of the population. The fact is however that generalisations are never fair. Labelling hunters and trappers as some sort of anti social, psychopathic, underdeveloped law breaking lot is just outright unjust. At least if there is one point into which most people agree upon is the principle of justice.
And I do hope that serious environmentalists and other conservation organisations, just get rid of the extremist element within their ranks as nothing good comes out of extrimism and intolerance no matter how nobel ideas and intentions are.
From my veiw point, having lived overseas for most of my life, and without try to be condescending to anyone it all seems to start with society's evolving views on hunting worldwide. We are constantly bombarded with documentaries about endangered species, global warming and the like.
The real problem I have in understanding the whole debate starts with the Hunters Federation.
Why do they call themselves the Federation for Hunting and Conservation.(or words to that effect).
What are they conserving exactly?
Could it be their right to hunt" or their "right to legally shoot at defenseless animals.
to me it makes no sense!
David Borg Cordona eloquently describes the pleasures of an early spring morning, out in the 'wilds' .............of course all this is lost when you bring the shotgun to your shoulder and blast away at some bird who is also enjoying the morning air.
The whole justification for hunting, in 2008 is really a moot point. There isn't a lot of evidence that hunting is good for anyone's cooking pot.....we are not starving as a nation, are we?
I think it boils down to egos. Men with guns. The same the world over, for what ever reason men get them, they don't want to give them up..!!!
If this premise were untrue. Leave your gun at home and use a spear or a bow and arrow. The fun will still be there, the morning atmosphere will still be ther........and i think the birds will still be there, also.
I trust you're joking.... It is supposed that democracy has to be amongst all humans....not amongst only the majority....
How can you compare hunting with the smoking saga? A smoker used to smoke in a restaurant and in any other closed public area....nowadays, a smoker has to walk few metres to have a cigarette....on the other hand, a hunter used to hunt in spring, and nowadays he has to wait for 7 months to go hunting....apart from this, the hunter cannot hunt the same speices which used to hunt traditionally in every Spring because in September, only few migrate over our islands.
Mr. Buttigieg is aspiring that hunting in Autumn will be abolished too. Are you that greedy, Mr. Buttigieg?
Mr. Casha, how dare you insult hunters as being criminals and vandals? I challenge you to substantiate these allegations. I know a good number of law-abiding hunters who are very well-educated and respectable persons.
Mr. Cassar, you seem an expert on compassion - is this the type you show towards hunters and the pro-hunting individuals?
Intollerance, vindictiveness and infliction of mental violence are bad traits in a human being. Unfortunately these bad traits are all existent in the anti-hunting individuals and their foreign masters. Group up and learn to co-exist with others who hold different views.
To the abolitionists I dare ask; why only here in Malta and not everywhere else in the EU? Is the local practice of such an encompassing magnitude and effecting global avian populations? My appeal is seeking a truthful and unbiased answer. Then and only then may you some day come to the realisation that the local efforts with foreign intrusion are just that; misplaced and counterproductive efforts as regards global protection of a species, when the same efforts could with the co-operation of the hunting fraternity, yield better protection for those species really in need!
On a final note, the way forward is definitely not mud-slinging, unfounded accusations and generic condemnation but reaching a consensus and focusing the efforts of both ends towards awarding the just protection where it is actually and truly needed.
Unfortunately you seem to be one of those who likes enjoying other peoples misfortunes. I beleive that given a choice TODAY the vast majority of Nationalist Hunters and possibly their families who were so shamefully deceived in the Refereundum age would vote against EU membership.
This based on the real truth that the EU offers and beleive me that more surprises are to come which will effect all sectors of Malta and Gozo.
The tactics of PN and Co, who used to be imaged as godlike by all nationalists, are actually more wicked (in a gentle manner) that the threatening tactics of MLP in the 80`s. The last example can be seen in the way the last election was won.
People working abroad are not new to the country and whoever needed to work abroad always found a way. This now has its backfire as our market has also been invaded with cheap eastern european workforce especially in the construction industry.
Also the Autumn Hunting is no issue in the EU so any tampering with Autumn Hunting will just be a further injustice to what is happening which will benefit nobody except sadists.
That's what we Maltese are best in the world,in puting bad name to our country with others.why did the case of the swans had to be put all over the world.do you ever hear any problems regard hunting in other countries.the only time i hear about hunting on t.v is one the 1st September on the Italian Stations and on the opposite of us they promote it.lets keep our problems to our self and the other countries they can mind there own business.
And as I've said before..Maybe hunters will find something more productive now and less violent to teach their children or enjoy during free time...like pottery or knitting.
But now hunting is done as a ‘pastime’ (prove of this are the large number of stuffed birds on the island), if one can classify this so, because killing a living creature for the sake of killing is no pastime for a sane human being. And if you derive pleasure from the unnecessary killing you must be a sick individual.
Furthermore if non-hunters cannot understand hunters, this is not a fault of non-hunters, but because what you currently practice is not acceptable and has never been, as you and other fellow hunters wants us to believe.
Secondly, in replying to Paul Busuttil I must say I feel sorry for him. Mr. Busuttli, do you even not know that democracy is built on protecting the rights of the minority? Unlike you seem to want imply, democracy is not the tyranny of the majority. So please check your democratic credentials before coming here espousing such nonsense. However, what then strikes me is the usual environmentalist lack of compassion with which you seem to compare the consequences of smoking and second hand smoke (cancer in human beings) with hunting. Is the suffering of your fellow human beings equal to the supposed suffering of bird for you?
I bet even a 10 year old could reply easily to Tony Gatt. Dear Tony, ignoring the little fact that collective punishments are unconstitutional, is he proposing that all car enthusiasts should have their license revoked when one of them causes a fatal crash and happens to kill a bystander? Is he proposing that all students in a class should fail an exam when one of them decides to cheat? I think you get my drift....
As for Kenneth Cassar, why does hunting lack compassion towards non-human animals, as you insist on calling them? I think the bird's mother will surely miss her son, or the bird will miss going to bird University because a heartless hunter shot him. Boo hoo hoo. Maybe they should start wearing bullet proof vests, and then they wouldn't have any problems! If this seems exaggerated and farfetched to you, please realise that this is the only logical conclusion of your attempt to humanize birds.
Would you rather we were out of the EU so that you could hunt? Would you deny Malta all these new opportunities (ask the thousands of people working abroad) so that you can hunt?
Sorry mate (well, not really), spring killing is over, hopefully it won't be long before the same applies to autumn.
What's changed is that people found in the EU a way of bringing this under control - something that no local MP has ever had the political guts to do.
I'm sorry that you were "brought up to appreciate and nurture hunting as a way of life". Hopefully, future generations will be protected from such an upbringing.
I assure you, hunting does nothing to make you an agreeable human - quite the contrary in fact. It makes you appear as disagreeable and inhuman.
You write that "gone are those April days when on seeing the game bag slung across your shoulder, the neighbour would inquire about your catch, or at times ask you for "żewġ gamiem għal brodu" (a brace of turtle doves for broth). Spring hunting was taken for granted and accepted as part of life in spring".
Yes, dear Mr Borg Cardona. Thankfully, gone are those days. Many people are coming to see hunting as it really is - unnecessary slaughter.
You conclude your letter by writing: "And hunting is partly what makes us agreeable humans. Those who try to restrict, or worse, to abolish hunting, are acting against our humanity, and that is something I and my fellow hunters will never, repeat never, tolerate or accept".
I honestly would like to know how hunting partly makes one an agreeable human. Does this mean that those who do not hunt are less agreeable humans?
As for your claim that you will not tolerate those who are acting "against your humanity" (does your humanity really rest on being able to hunt? - Will you lose your humanity if you do not hunt?), thanks for letting us know that you will not tolerate the democratic right to oppose hunting and work for its abolition. I personally not only tolerate, but respect your right to lobby on behalf of your outdated "tradition".
Your concluding sentence shows that this letter, far from being about the rationality of hunting, is actually about the irrationality of hunting (or hunters).
And, incidentally, how will you go about not tolerating those who want hunting to be abolished? If you mean by replying to letters with counter-arguments, to me that does not involve not tolerating abolitionists. But if its not this, what do you mean exactly?