Friday, 19th September 2008
Voluntary guardians of hunting laws
Alternattiva Demokratika Żgħażagħ (ADŻ-Green Youth) consider FKNK's attacks on the Committee Against Bird Murder (CABS) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds as ridiculous. FKNK are accusing these organisation of being "spies". It seems federation secretary Lino Farrugia has no idea what espionage is all about.
He accuses the government of stopping afternoon hunting so that these "strangers" could have free reign in the countryside. This is already a contradiction because spies, the real ones, do not have government approval for spying on the country, let alone have the government's help.
Mr Farrugia has to come to terms with the fact that these "spies" are nothing more than people who will be conducting fully-legitimate research and investigation.
Mr Farrugia further alleges that these organisations "'constitute a serious threat of foreign interference" and intend to intrude into private property at night. I think it's rather the opposite; these organisations want to make sure that we respect the law because it seems we are not able to do this by ourselves.
On a more serious note, Mr Farrugia said that trouble was to be expected. Our country cannot be held at ransom by a relatively small group of people who want to keep on practising their hobby against the national interest. If by trouble FKNK mean further violence and/or vandalism we hope (and believe) the police will take the necessary action.
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Comments
I know you're not bothered by the name. What I intended to be a simple pointing out of a small error in the name, ended up with silly arguments on German dictionaries and the meaning of German words.
The truth is vindicated: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20080920/local/cabs-requests-hunting-ban-as-hundreds-of-protected-birds-are-shot
To be honest I'm not really bothered about the name. What DOES bother me is the fact is that members of FKNK want to impose their position by bullying their way through.
THey lost their political ticket since no one really cares about the hunter's vote and are implying 'trouble' as well as offending legitimate movements of doing what they usually do
I am sorry to say that you are ill-informed regarding hunting laws. The ban after 3.00 p.m. was in no way imposed by the EU. So please, inform yourself well before commenting.
That is the problem with the anti-hunting lobby - IMPOSING PASTIMES ON OTHERS!! Sorry, but you must realise that hunters are free to choose hunting as their pastime, I am free to enjoy commenting online, etc. The minute I lose my right of indepence, beware - because you will lose yours, as well!
As you are well aware, I am in a position to teach YOU crochet, lace and knitting. BUT I enjoy doing these when I feel like it and NOT when you IMPOSE it. Maybe you might wish to start crocheting instead of sailing!! It is your FREE CHOICE!
Thanks to the EU more stringent laws have been drafted to curb hunting, To name a few no spring hunting, restrictions on trapping, no hunting after 3pm ect ect.
If you do not like it may I suggest that you change past time, maybe you should consider taking up crochet it is less harmfull to the environment and there are no EU laws curbing crochet in th countryside!!
Yes, its sad that some people find pleasure in killing, slaughtering or murdering sentient animals.
I don't know what the name of CABS really means but I know for sure that yesterday Friday 19/09/08, there was a SLAUGHTER of birds of prey all over the island and in front of everyone including the police, foreigners and locals alike.
By the way, Robert Callus probably would not agree with you. Robert Callus probably took the name from a recent report in The Times, where they made the same mistake. Everyone makes mistakes. What's silly is to persist in the mistake knowing it is so.
If the English name of CABS is "Committee Against Bird Murder", why do you keep referring to them as CABS and not CABM? People will think you don't know how to spell.
I've actually checked the spelling of "murder" and "slaughter" in the dictionary, and guess what? "murder" is spelt m-u-r-d-e-r, and "slaughter" is spelt s-l-a-u-g-h-t-e-r.
However, to please the illiterates, I will start spelling "murder" s-u-r-d-e-r and "slaughter" m-l-a-u-g-h-t-e-r .
Also, these roaming spies are not a menace to any law abiding citizen. However, there were many law abiding citizens who wanted to enjoy our countryside (roaming?) and were harassed by hunters.
Errrr.....are your hunter friends in the UK poachers by any chance? Both the Turtle Dove and the Quail are in the UK red list so they are protected as far as I know. Apart from that, they are trans-saharan migrants so they won't be there in winter as they would have migrated south of the Sahara, unless your poacher friends shot them in summer and kept them in the freezer for you to enjoy.
If, according to you, that was the only item of truth, you were really quick to use it to your advantage. Birdlife could have easily left that out of the report and nobody would have noticed, but if that was how things went, that is what they report….as always. As for agitation and misinformation, I think FKNK gets first price. Remember Lino Farrugia’s speech about mercenaries, spies and trespassers. Cabs and the Raptor camp participants have been here for almost a week now and whilst various wildlife crimes have been reported, recorded, filmed etc, I haven’t heard anything about trespassing.
it would have saved you some hassle had you accepted what I said in the first place.
1) you were wrong
2) "Vogelmord" means bird murder
3) David Conlin intentionally translated it to slaughter to make it sound more gory
Also the translated meaning is "Commitee for bird murder" whether you like it or not.
Robert Callus the write of this letter seems to agree with my explanation. HE might wish to comment too.
Admitting you are wrong seems hard to accept, could this be the animal in you!!
And by the way murder is spelt with an M
CABS have a way of appealing to people's seniments. did you know the injured eagle found in Malta was named SIGMAR after Germany’s environmental minister for very obvious reasons.
The main question is that there is illegal hunting going on. This is a documented fact.
Why the hunters federation seems so reluctant to bring these (few or many) people, presumably also its members, in line is incomprehensible. If these sad individuals are permanently stopped from shooting at and killing protected species, the problem will disappear. If the federation, by its stance and attacks on anyone who disagrees with it, continues to 'appear' to defend these people, the name calling will continue ad nauseam.
OK...I'll quit being a "spoil sport". Hey, everyone. From now on, Murder is spelt S-U-R-D-E-R.
"A barrage of an outburst against a referendum. Why is that?" of coarse a barrage of outburst,so if I don't agree or don't like something we make a referendum to see if it can be continued praticed or whatever,makes no sense at all.
Regarding golf and tennis you can play it yourself if it gives that much of a kick,I'd definately stick to hunting !!!
Being a mature person I respect the hunters' opinion but please I expect you to respect mine.
I thought so. A barrage of an outburst against a referendum. Why is that??
Having minsters,. politicians, doctors, etc as hunters does not make it any better
Golf etc is a sports. Hunting is not whatever it is said. With golf , tennis etc you are not doing any harm to anybody or anything else except hitting balls unless you hit them so high that you hit a innocent flying bird!!!!
If I wish to emigrate I have all the possibilities but probably by that time we shall have no more hunting in Malta. And who said hunting is the second most popular '' sports''? Where do you get all this rubbish from?
You can't even reason things out here or else they start offending you.. So much for maturity.
Your quotation from the BirdLife Raptor Camp report shows that BirdLife members are not inimical to all hunters and trappers. They can and do acknowledge hunters/trappers who are civil and respect the law.
Your quote confirms that BirdLife does not speak out against hunters indiscriminately and this means that its statements exposing and condemning illegal hunting are genuine and not made up, as many hunters allege.
I do not shoot personally, as i am not a hunter, but rest assured that there will be plenty of turtle dove and quail at dinner everyday for the length of my stay. These are the very same birds that Maltese are not allowed to hunt.
CABS should really be looking in their own backyard and they are sure to find work that needs to be done in the UK and Germany!!!!
As for L Farrugia's ridiculous comments, get real we are in 2008 not George Orwells's 1984 it seems that you are stuck in a time warp "tal indhil barrani" gone are those days.
Like it or not we are now part of the EU and CABS have every right to roam the countryside as you and me and every other EU citizen.
Ironical how you tried and failed miserably to be elected as an MEP and do not understand the right of free movement in the EU!!!
The examples quoted by Andrew Gatt clearly show that, given goodwill from both sides, co-existance, mutual respect and even co-operation is clearly possible between genuine law abiding hunters and environmentalists/ birdwatchers.
The hunters and trappers involved were clearly above the the short sighted, inflammatory comments given recently by a leading exponent of the FKNK. And it is also clear that these conservationists are concerned with illegal hunting and did not come here to spy or interfere with law abiding hunters.
As to those proposing referenda to stop hunting, this is simply not appropriate. Where minority rights are concerned the referendum is an inappropriate tool to decide matters. Traditional hunting is increasingly being recognised as a 'right'. Of course it is not a human right but is a traditional 'right' stemming from recognition of a long standing tradition that is an important part of the culture of certain groups within society . This is why hunting is legally recognised all over Europe.
Of course every right brings with it duties and obligations - hence the need for sustainability, regulation and law enforcement. These voluntary guardians of hunting laws should be more than welcome by everybody, including law abiding hunters
@Mr R Cuschieri, Yes some of the Police, Soldiers, Ministers, Doctors, Lawyers, Priests, Farmers, Businessmen, Bank Managers, etc etc are also hunters, and that makes us an island of cowboys except you. Moreover abroad there are Queens, Kings, Presidents etc who happens to be also hunters, and that makes the whole world cowboys, again except you.
You posted this comment on 19/06/08 on this site “For your information, I'm a hunter myself - and proud of it!! I respect the law and respect others..........but I have lost all respect for Birdlies and Co who try and put collective blame on us all.”
So today it is Birdlife and not Birdlies and they seem to have gained your respect so much so that you’re quoting from their site to defend hunters. But just the same, thanks for showing everyone that Birdlife Malta reports facts as they are, unfortunately hunters accept only those that suits them.
Come on Kenneth stop being a spoil sport and and beating around the bush !! just admit you're wrong and that's it !!
@Mark Mifsud Bonnici
Well done,he'll probably continue whining for the rest of the day !!!!
"The country cannot afford this ","Hunting is not important for the country","it can do without hunting", What difference will it make to you if we hunt or not ? You're sounding as if Malta is the only place in the world where hunting takes place !! I understand you have abit of an anti-hunting zeal but I'm sorry Mr Azzopardi when all the other european countries will hold a referendum whether to ban it or not ( doubt it as UK alone, the shooting industry generates 1.7 billion sterling annually alone) we'll hold one too,but for now....you'll have to swallow it !!
As is often the case, people who cannot present a valid argument to support their point of view - as in your case - often resort to attempts at deflecting legitimate criticism by deviating from the main point of the discussion onto tangential issues - in this case, splitting hairs on nomenclature. Are you trying to impress us with your knowledge? We are not impressed. You are not the only one with a German dictionary and with some knowledge of that language.
Why do you not address the real issues here? Like the implied threat by Lino Farrugia that "trouble was to be expected".
When threats are implied, and things happen it is no wonder that people begin to point fingers at those who made the threats. Please spare us your bulls**t and stay on topic
So your dislike of hunting prompts you to call for a referendum.
You state "hunting is not important for the country' so anything not important for the country according to you is out.
Can you see any importance for the country in golf, soccer, hockey, horse racing/riding, yachting, cycling, birdwatching, swimming, hiking etc.
Certainly these are not important to the country but they are important to those that practice them. This is why hunting is important, since it is the practice of just under 10% of the population. The most popular pastime after soccer in Malta.
Calling for a referendum to ban hunting or any other pastime only goes to show that the only thing our country finds really unimportant is blabber mouths that waste the limited space on these islands.
Ever considered emigrating!
Is it so hard to admit you are wrong? If you read my previous comment (just below yours), you will find my conclusive explanation.
I don't care about the translation. I'm speaking about what CABS stands for.
Let me put it more simply:
CABS stands for Committee Against Bird Slaughter
CABM stands for Committee Against Bird Murder
Are you talking about CABS or CABM. If you are talking about CABM, then I humbly apologize, since we would be talking about different organizations.
As for the "murder" in CABS' German name, unless they are at least all vegetarians (which I assume they are not), I actually find it silly. If the killing of birds is murder, so would the killing of other animals.
So as you see, I'm not trying to defend CABS (or CABM or KGDV) here. I'm only stating the obvious. The "S" in CABS stands for "Slaughter".
The government hasn't stopped them either, for fear of loosing votes.
Now these people are finally doing something.
Mr. Farrugia of FKNK always says that "his" hunters do not hunt illegally. So what is he fearing from these organizations? Why is he so hostile if he has nothing to hide?
Well done again. Keep up the good work.
is it so hard to admit you are wrong.
The translation is intentional and I await DAVID CONLIN"S confirmation.
I know that the German word translates to "murder", but here we are speaking of an official name (the English version). If CABS (or KGDV) want to call themselves "Committee Against Bird SLAUGHTER", who are we to report them otherwise?
I personally don't believe that the FKNK are at all "conservationists", but since they call themselves so, I either refer to them as Federazzjoni Kaccaturi Nassaba u "Konservazzjonisti", or else refer them to FKNK.
Irrespective of the truth in what you say regarding the translation of the German word, the English name of CABS is Committee Against Bird Slaughter.
"Our team at Girgenti were approached by Quail trappers who were friendly and invited our team to join them one morning while trapping to see how Quail trappers operate and get a feel for it. The two groups exchanged views and opinions before parting amicably."
"In the evening the Nadur Tower team was approached by a hunter who was very friendly and showed them pictures of himself hunting Wild Boar in the USA. He also explained how he only shot at what he could eat and could never understand people shooting at inedible birds, particularly Herons – which he believed stank as a result of living in marshes and eating frogs. He ended the meeting by giving our team a box of freshly picked tomatoes."
JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, THE WORD SLAUGHTER IN GERMAN IS " METZELEI" OR TO SLAUGHTER ILLICITLY "SCHWARZSCHLACHTUNG"
Please check up the word vogelmord and you will find out that it actually means BIRD MURDER.
Maybe David Conlin might like to confirm what I am saying.
OR IF YOU STIL ARE NOT CONVENCED TRY THIS SITE
http://www.systran.co.uk/english-german-translation/german-translation.htm
If it stood for Committee Against Bird Murder, it would be CABM, not CABS.
I do not need a German dictionary to understand English, and to know that Murder does not start with an S.
WRONG AGAIN!!!
Actually the word Vogelmord in "KOMITEE GEGEN DEN VOGELMORD means BIRD MURDER and not slaughter.
The CABS official translator MR. David Conlin opted to translate this word to SLAUGHTER since its sounds more gory suitable to the cause.
Mr. Cassar it seems you do not have a german dictionary or any knowledge of the german language.