EU's LIFE Unit objects to hunters' video

James De Giorgio

Jul 28th 2008, 15:22

The hunters have lost their power. They've been shown that governments can still win elections without their support. It's time they are all reined in before our standing in europe is blasted away with the rest of the few birds still daring to fly over.

Richard Cachia Zammit

Jul 27th 2008, 13:13

@John Borg
Errr Sorry John Borg, but what do you mean by stating to Birdlife that 'no one will believe you again'? After the FKNK tried to paint the picture that Birdlife is using the money given by the EU, for other reasons, the EU is telling the FKNK to remove the video and not telling Birdlife to stop the project. So who is everyone believing?

M Camenzuli

Jul 27th 2008, 13:10

@Mr Max Farrugia:

Thanks for the info.

Which is even more good reason for the 1 million euros Birdlife is getting.

Thanks.

Max Farrugia

Jul 26th 2008, 23:37

Reference to Mr. Camenzuli mail. I can assure him that rats are a minor problem when compared with the large number of shearwaters that are killed, or left wounded at sea due to illegal hunting from speedboats.
M. Farrugia

malcolm said

Jul 26th 2008, 23:22

@ Mr. Camenzuli.
So you really think that for some rats its necessary to donate 1,000000 euros from our taxes??? come on and put some valid argument. Cos with 1,000000 euros of rat venom you kill the rats of all europe!!!! and then the EU will be pleased!

john borg

Jul 26th 2008, 18:51

Birdlife made big statements on how many turtledoves would have nested in Malta , and the millions of birds we would have seen. The spring season was closed but unfortunately none of them materialized. MALTA THE MAIN MIGRATION ROUTE suddenly disappeared.......come on no one will believe you again.

MARK MIFSUD BONNICI

Jul 26th 2008, 16:54

Helen Raine claims that what she considers as a smear campaign, "unfortunately is only serving to tarnish Malta's reputation on an international level."

What she does not realize is that Malta's reputation on an international level is what Birdlife managed to ruin over the years. Its fabrications and blatant exposure of even the slightest infringement to the four corners of the world has made Malta the villain.

Can Raine honestly state that illegalities do not regularly occur in her own country. I read the UK papers and have yet to see daily articles about hunting illegalities. it is a known fact that game keepers and pigeon fanciers consider all birds of prey as a threat and use all means possible to eradicate them. Yet this fact does not make the headlines even though both the RSPB and Birdlife UK consider it as a serious threat to raptors.

What Raine fails to mention is her Maltese holiday. Studying birds that have not decreased locally since 1982 is a good excuse to initiate a project that has generated enough income from the gullible EU and other beneficiaries to pay for her keep and that of others at Birdlife.

M Camenzuli

Jul 26th 2008, 15:14

The fact that Birdlife has obtained 1 million euros for this project is to be commended.

Even though the garni in Malta might be threatened only by rats that take their eggs,
1 million euros for Birdlife is money well spent by the European Union and MEPA.

FKNK do not seem to understand that protecting birds from rats does cost a lot of money.

Is it wrong to subsidise Birdlilfe with 1 million euros?

Stefan Azzopardi

Jul 26th 2008, 14:40

FKNK, you dare call yourself conservationists? and then at the same time attacking an EU-funded CONSERVATION project??? come on, grow up and be your age

Anthony Formosa

Jul 26th 2008, 14:13

Birdlife feels that they are being attacked by a video produced by FKNK on the You Tube, and to them it's not acceptable, but for them to post videos of intimidation towards hunters and trappers is acceptable. The Life unit of the European Commission must note that the Yelkouan Shearwater existed long way before the Raines showed up in Malta, furthermore the area has been managed by FKNK until to date without any funds.
Birdlife in a statement said the FKNK had claimed, without providing any evidence, that the LIFE project was a "sham" May I ask birdlife how many claims they did in the past years without providing any evidence? I don't think that FKNK needs such evidence to note that two GPS data loggers worth 1 million euros of funds.
If Life Unit has any legal right to urge FKNK to remove the video from the You Tube, then, I suggest that before doing so, Birdlife must submit a statement of account as evidence, and also to remove certain videos from the You Tube intended to provoke Maltese hunters.
Ms Raine there's no more reputation to tarnish, it's already done by birdlife.

J. Borg

Jul 26th 2008, 13:27

Considering that this 'initiative' is a brainchild of some 'legal' hunter.
I encourage the same 'legal' hunters, to compile a video of the accomplishments of the so called 'illegal' hunters - whom they have tacitly allowed to tag birds with a couple of deadly shots.
If hunters are so naive to deem that their egoistic and destructive activities can ever be an alternative to BirdLife's conservation and protection projects - then dream on.