A 24-hour 'massacre' of protected birds - CABS
The Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) has called upon the government to order an immediate stop to the hunting season in the wake of a 'massacre' of protected birds between Friday and yesterday.
German-based CABS is currently conducting bird migration monitoring operations on Malta with a team of 24 activists. They reported that more than 1,000 harriers, honey buzzards and falcons reached the Maltese islands on Friday afternoon to rest before continuing their journey to Africa.
Near Rabat, a CABS team claimed to have observed hunters opening fire at a group of marsh harriers on Friday evening, at least two of which fell to the ground.
Earlier, CABS said that hunters near the Blue Grotto killed a Kestrel with six shots in front of observers.
At Buskett Gardens, a roost area of vital importance, observers recorded the arrival of at least 500 honey buzzards, 200 marsh harriers, 90 hobbys and dozens of other birds including osprey, kestrel and lesser kestrel.
"Sadly, this proved to be the calm before the storm," said CABS general secretary Alexander Heyd.
Mr Heyd was on duty early yesterday morning with five colleagues on the edge of the hunters' game reserve near Miżieb, where around 120 marsh harriers had gone to roost the previous evening.
"A real shooting match, involving some 40 hunters, began shortly after 5.30 a.m.," he said.
Another team of CABS observers were deployed to the south of the Fiddien Reservoir where 20 to 30 Marsh Harriers landed at dusk.
Welsh CABS member David Conlan estimated that more than 100 protected birds were killed on Friday and Saturday.
Mr Heyd said that the FKNK's claims that the poachers were a handful of black sheep were far from reality.
"Our data led us to a completely different conclusion, namely that the majority of hunters participate in illegal hunting," he said.
CABS said it would demand that the government immediately ban all hunting until the raptor migration is over.
CABS is currently preparing a submission to the Environment Ministry and a report on illegal hunting for the Environment Directorate of the European Commission.
Popular Stories
Update 3: Woman found dead in car,...
Updated: Woman dies in car crash
Part of Dwejra 'Azure window' collapses
The end of the bar that ‘never closed’
Bundy does not know whether to...
This WAS the night - Kurt makes it...
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
Petrol price up 6c
'No need for early election if PM's...
In Discussion
17 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Eric Camilleri
Sep 22nd 2008, 00:28
To E.Camilleri
Since you are so vociferous about this hunting issue and not everybody (including every E.Camilleri on the island) shares your demand for blanket collective punishment, then at least sign in your full name. I Eric Camilleri for one do not agree with you !
Sylvana Zarb Darmanin
Sep 21st 2008, 21:21
Mr. E. Camilleri, I love your sense of humour!!!!
Assigning a police officer to ALL Maltese law-breakers (whether hunters, criminals, etc.) will definitely solve our unemployment problem and the Police complement will have to be increased tremendously!
HA! H! HA!
MARK MIFSUD BONNICI
Sep 21st 2008, 21:00
Another quote from DAVID CONLIN :
http://www.proact-campaigns.net/maltabulletins/id30.html
"Declaring hunting and trapping completely unlawful and anti-social is a no-cost measure which, we believe, a majority of citizens would support "
No talk of illegalities just a no - cost measure of spreading unthruths to gain support from the fools that believe the nonsense.. And all this from the CABS campaign coordinator.
Stefan Sammut
Sep 21st 2008, 20:11
Due to such irresponsible acts of such ignorant and selfish people! we Maltese are known to be "cruel" people by many europeans!
The government should stop hunting once for all. It is clear that such things are bound to continue to happen!
I cannot understand what is the joy of killing such beatiful animals! I am not a veg. but I love nature. These people are contibuting to the destruction of certain species!
Why the goverment do not act on such things?! Or give a fine of 100 EUROS?
E Camilleri
Sep 21st 2008, 17:46
Isn't it clear why FKNK are all out against CABS? Would they bother to take this same position if illegal hunting is so infrequent as they claim?
No, absolutely not. It is because illegal hunting is so widespread that makes FKNK so against CABS. This should be enough evidence that illegal hunting is the norm and not the exception, as FKNK wants us to believe. If FKNK and its members have nothing to hide, then they have nothing to fear from CABS.
It is a shame for the whole of Malta that we still permit such atrocities against protected species. It is impossible for the police to protect against illegal hunting when this practice is so widespread, unless of course the authorities assign one policeman with every hunter! Since obviously this cannot be done, then the hunters have left us with no other option but to close the hunting season forever.
MARK MIFSUD BONNICI
Sep 21st 2008, 17:42
@Ray Bajada
Comments such as yours that are balanced, unbiased and constructive are few and far between. Indeed one of our proposals to Dr. Gonzi was the setting up of environment wardens. We asked government to allocate all funds collected from our hunting licenses for this purpose. If need be even increase our fees. This and other constructive proposals where simply - IGNORED.
CABS being here is intentional, as is the foreign participation in Birdlife raptor camps. To cause a sensation at the expense of all Maltese citizens. Please bear in Mind that Environment Commissioner Dimas want to make an example out of Malta to stamp out illegal hunting in Europe. These Birding societies found support in Malta's government since it considered them a godsend.
Rather then controlling the existing problem, which is far less than perceived, Government chooses to be ridiculed in this manner, 24 foreign BIRD GUARDS kicked up a frenzy unequalled by all the available police and member of Birdlife Malta ever did. Can you honestly believe most of this is true.
Illegalities exist but none that cannot be controlled using our own resources. It is Birdlife and its cronies that make it seem otherwise.
mark mifsdu bonnici
Sep 21st 2008, 17:17
@JBorg
In 2001 spring hunting was legal and who do you think was campaigning to have it stopped read this link: http://www.proact-campaigns.net/maltabulletins/id6.html - DAVID CONLIN.
In 2001 DAVID CONLIN was also preparing for STAGE II.
These mercenaries are here for a purpose. To stir up the public against hunters, put pressure on our Government and the EU. Do you honestly think they are here to observe birds!!.
I deplore illegal hunting and would like to see the perpetrators punished. But i also deplore who pretends to be here to track illegal hunting with the sole intention of exaggerating the whole affair in order to create mass hysteria.
@TMIFSUD
"Close the season indefinitely". Why? because CABS reported 100 raptors being shot. Can you confirm this as true? Maybe the number was more like 10, who knows?
16,000 hunters who you term as lawless. If each had to shoot just 1 protected bird then you would have a massacre. Yet have you ever read of 16,000 thousand protected birds shot.
When this happens I would be the first to condemn hunting.
In the meantime i will carry on enjoying my practice within the law as thousands of other Maltese hunters do.
Ray Bajada
Sep 21st 2008, 16:40
Illegalities should be curbed out by the respective authority. All fingers should be pointing to the government. The arrival of CABS (just 24 individuals) has caused such a fuss! So, I ask, is it possible that the government is not capable to appoint 24 Maltese persons to 'guard' the protected birds? While in other countries such and even worse illagalities are dealt with internally with the least of sound, our matters are being blasted out throughout the world. While CABS may have all the good intentions with regards to birds, I'm sure they will be having no respect towards Malta (our country ) on their way to reach their own goals.
Sylvana Zarb Darmanin
Sep 21st 2008, 14:32
CABS members had come on the premise of curbing illegal hunting. Now, we are seeing their true intention for their visit. They want a ban on hunting. What do CABS have to say regarding this request in the face of the law-abiding hunters? AN EXPLANATION IS SOLICITED!
This brings us to the conclusion as to why FKNK and the law-abiding hunters do not trust CABS and thus their objection to them visiting Malta. The law-abiding hunters and their Federation were never gullible enough, they knew from the outset the true intention of CABS personnel!!
J Oatmon
Sep 21st 2008, 13:32
The CABS group will no doubt report the illegal shooting of birds to the EU.
The I expect something like this to happen: -
The EU will insist the regulations are followed, Malta will not take decisive action and will waffle, the EU will threaten to withold some funding, Malta again will not take decisive action and will attempt to delay proceedings, the EU will then withold some funding, Malta will finally agree to do what it should have done before - totally ban hunting.
It will be one big money wasting situation basically in an attempt to appease a lot of bird killers.
We need a cross party agreement to ban birdshooting and bird hunting now.
J. Borg
Sep 21st 2008, 11:26
What a waste of resources and effort (protected birds, ALE, Malta Tourism Authority, embellishment works to attract tourists, potential EU fines, the Attorney General, pollution, possible vandalism......) not to mention having the countryside taken over throughout Autumn and Winter, just so that some hunters can eat a dove or two.
Just recently a life saving drug was being denied to patients 'just' because it was deemed too expensive.....can someone determine the aggregate cost of these doves that hunters (so egoistically I say) crave to eat!
Government has a responsibility to act in the common good, and override any pretentious expectations that are not worth their cost - conclusive action has been long overdue.
We are waiting.....
T Mifsud
Sep 21st 2008, 11:02
@Anthony Formosa, Mark Mifsud Bonnici
If you are law abiding hunters, why don't you self regulate your 'hobby' by bringing to the law the well known perpetrators? They are the ones punishing you. And moreover, the association which you are part of is on record that one of it's top people, if I'm not mistaken his name is Lino Farrugia, has been charged and found guilty of defending illegal action in Gozo! Now how is that for punishment!
The government MUST ACT and halt this lawlessness asap by closing the season indefintely. Malta, its environment and the Law cannot be held at ransom by illegal hunters who even their association defends! Fullstop
J. Borg
Sep 21st 2008, 10:48
Mr. Mifsud Bonnici,
2001.....Spring hunting was still legal
CABS....Hunters' organisations should assign one of their ("law abiding") members with each CABS group - and additionally also set up their own observation teams that identify & report the allegedly few criminals.
You seem so annoyed with BirdLife - that you keep ignoring that the actual "enemy" is in your own back yard.
Anthony Formosa
Sep 21st 2008, 10:36
@ Franco Farrugia, just to remind you all that the present government was a poacher himself in 2003 Referendum, 2003 elections, and 2008 elections, "l-ezempju ikaxkar" and that's why we have poachers. It will be a big mistake if the government imposes again a collective punishment because of the few.
I heard Prime Minister Gonzi saying that, if there is ONE genuine unemployed person registering for a job he will not be punished because someone else abuses the system. In another recent case involving rape Dr Gonzi said, if you had nothing to do with it, you can carry on with your duties in the party.
So May I ask why I should be punished when I was not even out for hunting in those days? With most of your attitude you are turning the law abiding hunters into criminals and guilty when innocent.
The CABS came prepared with their agenda no matter what, they already made a news with the Zakak and Dizzu valued at 20,000 euros come on are we so stupid not to realize what's behind it.
How many poachers where apprehended by the ALE? What’s the use to increase the hefty fines when none gets caught?
T Mifsud
Sep 21st 2008, 10:26
I cannot believe that the government is so scared of taking action. Where there is public lawlessness in other countries, they come down hard. The rampant, all over the place, land sea (and on the roads!) illegal hunting is directly damaging our right of enjoyment of the birds, directly damaging our image and directly miniturising the government's power of response making it look like incapable.
The action cannot be a stop gap action by the police of ALE. They are simply outnumbered by hundreds to one. Action must come from the politicians with a stop to the season, until it becomes self regulated by FKNK.
MARK MIFSUD BONNICI
Sep 21st 2008, 10:10
Words written in 2001 by DAVID CONLIN from PROACT relevant to the heading :
"CABS seeks hunting ban as 'hundreds' of protected birds are shot"
"Proact Malta Stage II has yet to be launched. Don't forget that our immediate priority must be the birds now in OUR breeding grounds which will have to run the gauntlet of fire in the Autumn. Keep the pressure up RELENTLESSLY. The hunters and their lackeys won't give up without a (dirty) fight - that's for sure"
DAVID CONLIN is a life member of BIRDLIFE MALTA, CABS and the RSPB. The orchestrator of Raptor Camps, (a cover up for the intended ban on hunting in Malta.)
Indeed there are illegalities, they are shameful acts which should not go unpunished. The 2year old September afternoon hunting ban was intended to make the apprehending of these few criminals easier. The police are at the complete disposal of these "protectionists". Yet so far we have not read about arrests that justify the hundreds of birds reported shot
The fact that CABS are intent on banning hunting makes their reports to say the least dubious. They can only be considered as part of their "STAGE II" plan
Franco Farrugia
Sep 21st 2008, 10:02
And what is the Government going to do about it? Sit down and do nothing? I sincerely hope that the hunting and trapping season will be declared CLOSED as soon as possible.
Can you imagine what hefty fines are waiting for us, at the CoJ?
Can you also see for yourselves the pictures of those dead birds? Doesn't these people's hearts bleen for these beautiful living creatures? After all, if, and I repeat, if, hunters and trappers have a right to these birds, so do we, people who want these birds to continue flying in the air.
Yes, CABS are certainly welcome in our country. And the report that they will present in Brussels and Luxembourg is equally welcome, so that people abroad will know what is happening in this dot of a country!