Foresta 2000 ranger's rooms torched - BirdLife
A small farm in Mellieha belonging to Ray Vella, the Foresta 2000 Ranger and long time BirdLife member, has become "the latest victim of the serial attacks on birdwatchers in Malta," BirdLife Malta said today.
It said three rooms containing farming equipment and five rabbits were torched by unknown individuals early this morning.
Mr Vella who went to his field at Ta Penellu, Mellieha, around 7:30 a.m. saw the smoke as he approached his farm.
"He immediately realised that the hay bales that were stored at the entrance of his field as well as the three rooms used as storage were torched, destroying his farming equipment and killing four of his pregnant female rabbits that apparently got trapped and died of smoke in one of the rooms. Additionally oil was dumped in Mr. Vella's well, poisoning the fresh water reservoir in his field, and the wall of a second water reservoir was destroyed. Some trees were chopped and uprooted as well," BirdLife said.
The police confirmed that this was an arson attack, BirdLife added.
It said its conservation sites have consistently been the target of vandal attacks including oil dumped at Ghadira Nature Reserve, the destruction of the sign of the EU LIFE project at Rdum tal-Madonna and the chopping down of 3,000 trees and shrubs at the Foresta 2000 site in Marfa. A few months ago three cars belonging to BirdLife volunteers were also torched at Buskett.
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Philip Galea
Jun 3rd 2008, 18:48
Was the small farm of three rooms covered by a MEPA permit ? From the photo published it seems to be a real eysore with water tanks and other ugly things arounf it. Are hunters 'dura' the only eyesores in the countryside ?I condemn this act, but let us not point any fingers.
Fabian Borg
Jun 3rd 2008, 18:47
Maybe Birdlife learnt their tactics from a fish ?
The Parachromis friedrichsthalii has an unusual hunting mechanism. The species has been observed to lie immobile near the bottom, feining death. When smaller fish approach and attempt to pick at the dead fish, P. friedrichsthalii ambush the smaller fish and eats them.
Birdlife warned the world last winter about their secret weapon which nobody has still seen, or has been seen daily since then. Who knows?
What is true is that on many occasions Birdlife members have played victims, like this fish feigns dead, in order to deliver a blow 2D hunters through the media, like this fish attacks its prey.
The list is too long to fit this comment box but until now nobody was found guilty for all the incidents that happened which they were so kind to broadcast worldwide on YouTube.
Just as birdlies broadcasted `attacks` or self inflicted pain during bird migrations now they are victimising rabbits during the rabbit open season.
This is too much to be a coincidence.
I think Birdlife should try to obtain a reputation from their good deeds not just by trying to damage others.
Bad news sells and they know it!
C. Camilleri
Jun 3rd 2008, 07:43
I am a hunter... so when I found my 'dura' destroyed and demolished i should have concluded that the birdlife did it right?
Come on grow up birdlife fans... always accusing hunters and never get the proof.
M. Borg
Jun 2nd 2008, 22:15
@ Michael DeBono
i fully agree with you.
I am neither a hunter nor a bird watcher. I always thought that since we are in a Democratic country, even minorities have their rights, Mr Curmi and Mr Zammit. In this way we are never going to reach a balance. Unfortunately, some people are still thinking as some politicians think ( "jekk m' intix maghna, kontra taghna"), UNFORTUNATELY. Yes, you have the right to enjoy your hobby, you have the right to wake up early morning, take your binoculours with you and go birdwatching, but always either on public grounds or on YOUR private property! Even hunters, yes, they have the right to wake up early morning, take their gun and go hunting, and most of them in their private property! Yes, it is true that some hunters abuse and go hunting on public grounds, and yes, it is true that some birdwatchers, trespass! In the seventies, they used to say that "in-nassaba u l-kaccaturi ghandhom fama ta giddibin"...and today they are saying that "birdlife are exagerating in their numbers".
Michael DeBono
Jun 2nd 2008, 20:39
Mr Curmi.
I don’t understand the reason for your fury. I was just discussing. Maybe it’s got to do with this birdlife-business sort of thing. But anyway I’m not interested, and inflicting hatred is not my type.
Hunting is practiced by millions worldwide. A large proportion of the population LOVE hunting. 17,000 locals (5%) were desperate this April/May. That is a significant figure. How is it possible to abolish it completely?
Regarding those acts of vandalism you mentioned, I am totally against.
But it is now futile to discuss. What’s done is done. Anti-hunters (not necessarily bird-lovers) did everything to impress, and they succeeded. They were right when they said that some hunters break the law and shoot protected species. They lied blatantly too. They also succeeded in ruining Malta’s reputation. Malta is now the island "where everybody shoots everything that flies". The Maltese hunters are also regarded as being some sort of stupid, savage, heartless beasts. Thank you for such an image Birdlife. But having the majority of the population against hunting, they obviously won the battle hands down.
Yes I may be gullible. Yes, maybe I am the one to pity.
I am a hunter.
Frank Zammit
Jun 2nd 2008, 13:58
Just another example of Maltese authorities incapable of resolving these problems, for fear of upsetting a minority group, to the detriment of the vast majority of law-abiding Maltese citizens. These situations will continue until such time as the Government, the Courts and the Law Enforcement Authorities take more assertive action.
George Curmi
Jun 2nd 2008, 13:31
@ Michael DeBono
Couldn't it be an accident you ask? Perhaps. Sort of like the "accidental" damage inflicted on the Mnajdra Temples, the "accidental" dumping of oil at Ghadira Nature Reserve, the "accidental" chopping down of 3,000 trees and shrubs at the Foresta 2000 site in Marfa, the "accidental" destruction of the sign of the EU LIFE project at Rdum tal-Madonna, "the "accidental" shooting of spoonbills some years ago, and other "accidental" incidents too many to mention.
Mr. DeBono, you are either so gullible that you will believe anything, or you are a shameless apologist for the self-described "hunters" and "trappers" who have been raping environment in Malta in violation of the laws of God and man. In either case you are the one to be pitied; and it is you who might want to seriously consider "getting a life".
Saviour Sam Agius
Jun 2nd 2008, 03:10
Dear M. Borg, if it looks like a systematic crackdown on particular targets, then I say that yes, you can make such a statement. This is not just an odd attack. It is one in a series of others for which the victim seems to be always someone involved with Birdlife. One must not be an expert in criminology to come to consider a connection between the attacks. There might be an exception or two but generally speaking it's the same gang conducting similar coordinated crimes.
This is just like serial killers. Do the police wait for the killer to be apprehended to announce that a serial killer is at large? Of course not. Once one notices a pattern, one can conclude with little doubt that the same person or people are involved. Of course, there are sometimes copycats who hear about the whole thing and do the same, and this can be misleading but that's the exception not the rule.
Michael DeBono
Jun 2nd 2008, 02:46
Why do you always blame the hunters?
Couldn't it be an accident of some sort? A spark in the straw or something similar.
What have the hunters got to do with this?
Couldn't it be someone else who made an arson attack? Someone who had some argument in the past with Mr Ray Vella. Are you sure that it was the hunters? Do you have any proof? Or are you just guessing, and trying to blame the hunters so that the general non-hunting population will blame them too, and eventually hate them more than they already do.
I pity you people who always blame the hunters, who, as I may suppose, could be some of your friends or family.
Ladies and gentlemen, we've had enough of this argument. Birdlife & Co, trying to be pitied by everybody. They're the pictured "poor people trying to save the birds' lives so that everybody else can enjoy them flying in the countryside." They're being "bullied by the hunters, shot at, their farms are being burnt, cars burnt, windshields shattered". Oh God, please help these people.
Let's concentrate on issues which are more important. Let's not waste time.
Get a life.
M. Borg
Jun 1st 2008, 22:24
@ Dr Borg Cardona.
May i remind you that :
he who steals whatever he sees, is a thief:
he who kills whoever he sees, is a killer:
he who offends whoever he faces, is an offender:
and
he who disrupts a sporting game is a hooligan;
he who spoils the game, is not a player;
he who shoots everything that flies, is a criminal BUT not a hunter!
There are hunters who obey the law, but criminals, offenders, hooligans, thieves, killers, etc are anything but law abiding citizens!!
Richard Cachia Zammit
Jun 1st 2008, 22:01
You are so right Andrew Borg Cardona. I always state that the real enemy of the law abiding hunter is not Birdlife but those many irresponsible shooters who roam our countryside and who don't care about anything or anyone, including the law abiding hunters themselves.
Andrew Borg-Cardona
Jun 1st 2008, 20:20
M Borg is right.
Until it is proved that the third, and very substantial, attack on this gentleman is related to his bird protection activities, you can't say it is. If you do, you'll get the pro-hunting activists taking to their high horse to act all hurt and offended.
On the other hand, outside of a court of law, where the rules of evidence apply, comment is free and Bird Life Malta's comment is not, despite M Borg's capitalised horror, out of place at all.
Does anyone out there think that it isn't perfectly reasonable to assume that some irresponsible miscreant who thinks nothing of breaking the law when it comes to hunting is responsible for this?
After all, this type of person thought nothing of ruining things for all his co-hunters by shooting everything that flies and causing the widespread reaction against hunting that led to the current ban, so why is it unreasonable to suppose that such a person would think nothing of resorting to arson to make a point?
Paul A. Camilleri
Jun 1st 2008, 20:13
Joe Scerri,
If you really Know who these people are, I suggest you go to the nearest Police Station and file a report, based on GUESSING. Before you know it, the on duty Constable will have you for lunch. Please keep your childish comments to yourself
M. Borg
Jun 1st 2008, 18:44
May i condemn this type of vandalism!
In my opinion it is IRRESPONSIBLE for Bird Life Malta to state prima facie that :
"the latest victim of the serial attacks on birdwatchers in Malta,"
With this reasoning, if i am a Hunter and someone burns my "dura" or steals and destroys my "mansab", can i conclude that "it is another attack on Hunters". ???
j borg
Jun 1st 2008, 15:57
So last year someone tried to kill the guy by shooting at him while in his fields...now thye torched his fields......SHAME
Dion Borg
Jun 1st 2008, 15:41
Clearly someone has a crush on Mr. Ray Vella – due to Mr. Vella’s altruistic efforts and involvements.
Dear Mr.Rizzo, any news about the other (or same) chap who shot at Mr. Vella?
In the meantime, I am sure Dr. Gonzi or Dr. Pullicino will be writing a cheque to Mr. Vella so that he can replace what has been destroyed and install a CCTV.
Being the umpteenth arson attack, the authorities should make a pronouncement that should another arson/vandal act be made – hunting will be banned for a number of years – and let’s stop beating around the bush!
Carmel Cacopardo
Jun 1st 2008, 15:03
Shame !
Joe Scerri
Jun 1st 2008, 14:27
We can easily guess who the culprits behind all these attacks are.