Mark Mifsud Bonnici, Kaċċaturi San Ubertu, San Pawl tat-Tarġa; Lino Farrugia , Federazzjoni Kaċċaturi, Nassaba Konservazzjonisti, Sliema
Bird science and BirdLife
In a "rare" reply to our criticism, BirdLife Malta's conservation manager, Andre' Raine (November 3) tried to clarify the meaning of "conservation status" and "rarity" based on what he considers to be scientific knowledge.
From the outset we wish to point out that the Federation for Hunting and Conservation - Malta (FKNK) has always condemned the killing of any protected non-huntable species, immaterial of its conservation status. We also consider the IUCN as being a trustworthy source of scientific data; and at no time, as Dr Raine alleges, did the FKNK attempt to discredit the IUCN Red List. On the contrary the IUCN data is often referred to by FKNK and St Hubert's Hunters (KSU) to discredit BirdLife Malta's attempts at twisting the facts.
Dr Raine refers to the shooting of a lesser spotted eagle (Aquila pomarina) in Malta, and insists upon this bird's rarity in Europe. However, this eagle is primarily a European bird. Its range covers central, eastern and southeast Europe, eastwards to Iran. The IUCN gives it a classification of Least Concern because: "Although this species has declined, recent evidence indicates a partial recovery in the population... such that trends over the last three generations are not believed to approach the thresholds under IUCN Red List criterion A". So whereas Dr Raine considers it a European rarity, the IUCN does not, because its global population is largely its European population according to the IUCN data submitted by BirdLife International.
Dr Raine mentions the massive EU-funded conservation project in Brandenburg, Germany, for the lesser spotted eagle, but fails to mention the reason behind this project. Germany is notorious for raptor persecution.
The CABS website reports that: "All raptor species in Germany are still officially categorised as 'huntable wildlife".
For this reason Germany has been targeted as the only country within this eagle's European breeding grounds that requires EU-funded conservation. As opposed to Germany's 100, Poland boasts of 2,000 breeding pairs.
Dr Raine also refers to the quail (coturnix coturnix) and turtle dove (streptopelia turtur), and declares that "the conservation status of quail breeding in outer Mongolia, or the turtle doves of China, have no relevance to the conservation status of the birds which migrate over Malta".
The IUCN classifies the common quail as being globally of Least Concern, and the quails migrating over Malta forming part of the global population enjoy the same conservation status. That in the UK the quail is of Concern and a protected bird is as irrelevant to Malta as it is to Mongolia. Dr Raine's reference to turtledoves in China is also completely misplaced. Dr Raine should know that the turtle dove occurring in China, the oriental turtledove (streptopelia orientalis), is a totally different bird to that encountered in Europe. The conservation status of the turtle dove occurring in Malta (streptopelia turtur) quoted in the IUCN listing is that of Least Concern. That in the UK the turtledove is of Concern and protected is as much irrelevant to us in Malta as it is in China.
However, what Dr Raine is already trying to portray to the ignorant and gullible readers is the "rarity" in localised populations which situation never poses any conservation threat to any species that globally enjoy an otherwise healthy conservation status. This because in the very near future BirdLife (Malta) will intensify their next erroneous campaign against finches trapping. They will say that finches do not stay to breed locally because of the trapping that takes place in March. This notwithstanding that the populations of these finches run into millions; notwithstanding that we have already experienced three years in the early 1990s with no finches' trapping in March and no finches stayed to breed; notwithstanding that no trapping in March took place in 2007 and 2008 and again no finches stayed to breed as the FKNK demonstrated to local journalists last July at a press conference in Buskett gardens.
However, how would BirdLife (Malta) otherwise justify the €175,000 that the EU has just granted them for such a campaign!
BirdLife (Malta) chooses to ignore sound scientific data when convenient. BirdLife (Malta) also chooses to disregard all past Maltese ornithological studies and relies on the advice of a bird-biologist who may possess excellent knowledge of the birds of Bermuda but cannot differentiate between European and Chinese turtledoves.
Dr Raine ends his letter by stating that: "If any organisation is going to use scientific data to back up its arguments, then it should understand the basic and fundamental concepts involved before it does so." We fully concur.
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Sylvana Zarb Darmanin
Nov 13th 2008, 09:10
Mr GGD, I am also a reader of The Times but I did not take offence as I am neither gullible nor ignorant. The anti-hunting lobby's writings do not convince me at all! And by the way, Sir, your mode of addressing me does not impress me at all. I was taught to address people I do not know as Mr.... or Sir!!!
"Tell your hunting friends to stop insulting people". I might decide to tell my BirdLife friends just that!!
Mr. RCZ, "What difference does it make if " "the European Turtle Dove does not breed in China" or otherwise? I answered your question quoting your answer to my question. Sir, if you believe that nobody commented to Dr. Raine's letter you are greatly mistaken. Lack of impartiality did not allow Dr. Raine to learn what we had to say about his letter. THAT IS THE BIG DIFFERENCE!!!!
Richard Cachia Zammit
Nov 11th 2008, 22:11
@Sylvana Zarb Darmanin
What difference does it make if anyone commented on Dr Raine’s letter or not. Mr Farrugia and Mr Mifsud Bonnici did more than that by writing an official letter on the newspaper. Unfortunately it is full of scientific inaccuracies which you call facts. As for insults you still haven’t said anything about the way the authors of this letter addressed readers by calling them ignorant and gullible as well as by trying to ridicule Dr Raine about the subject when in fact they are the ones who are making one mistake after the other. Apart from all this, you asked me a question without answering mine. Since according to you the content of this letter is fact, do you really believe that the European Turtle Dove does not breed in China? I’m still waiting for a reply.
George Debono
Nov 11th 2008, 20:58
Sylvana
And by the way..........
Are you saying that if others are alcoholic, drug-addicts, etc. that you should be that as well?!
MIA CARA ..........Che centra ????
G
George Debono
Nov 11th 2008, 20:50
My dear Sylvana
Try this ------
1) I read the Times
2) Therefore I am a reader (of this newspaper)
3) "Readers" (of the Times) were referred to as ignorant and gullible
4) Therefore I am ignorant and gullibe ???
If line 3 is not an INSULT to all readers of the times then I am a Chinaman
Tell your hunting friends to stop insulting people – they are unpopular enough as it is.
G
Sylvana Zarb Darmanin
Nov 11th 2008, 19:11
Mr. RCZ, I wish to pose a question to you. Do you believe that no comments were posted to Dr. Raine's letter?!
And as for Mr. GGD, your 'basta' means absolutely nothing to me. It is for me to decide when to shut up!!!!!!!!!
Richard Cachia Zammit
Nov 11th 2008, 15:31
@Sylvana Zarb Darmanin
I never said that I'm impartial but at least there were instances when what I posted here was acclaimed even by hunters, unlike you. I have to admit that I admire your guts referring to what the authors are saying as facts. Does that means that even you believe the European Turtle Doves do not breed in China? Hallina trid.
Sylvana Zarb Darmanin
Nov 11th 2008, 09:05
"If these two so-called gentlemen take the liberty to insult readers by calling them all IGNORANT and GULLIBLE then others should feel quite free to insult them as well."
I tend to disagree completely with your line of thought Mr. GGD! Are you saying that if others are alcoholic, drug-addicts, etc. that you should be that as well?! Or as the Maltese say: "Jekk xi hadd imur jaqbez, tmur taqbez int ukoll". What sane reasoning is this?
Mr. RCZ, are you being impartial?
Richard Cachia Zammit
Nov 9th 2008, 17:40
@Sylvana Zarb Darmanin
Well you didn't surprise ME by missed the fact that originally THEY were “insultive” to Dr Raine trying to ridicule him when in fact they are the ones who are saying one gaffe after another. But it is normal for you that you see only one side of the story, even though you claim that you are impartial to all this. Or maybe you also want us to believe that there are no European Turtle Doves (Streptopelia turtur) in China amongst other things?
George Debono
Nov 9th 2008, 13:30
Sylvana
Your pathetic words - " ...........insultive towards these two gentlemen........"
The two gentlemen's words published for all to read : "............ what Dr Raine is already trying to portray to the ignorant and gullible readers is ...."
If these two so-called gentlemen take the liberty to insult readers by calling them all IGNORANT and GULLIBLE then others should feel quite free to insult them as well.
Capisch ?
Basta !
G
Sylvana Zarb Darmanin
Nov 8th 2008, 19:47
Messrs. Ciantar and Gregory Debono, please, please, speak for yourself. I am not a hunter but, contrary to what you presumptuously stated, enjoy reading facts brought forward by Messrs. Mifsud Bonnici and Farrugia. Actually, I enjoy defending hunters and their traditional pastime.
Mr. RCZ, you surprised me by being so insultive towards these two gentlemen today. But then I realised that they must have indeed hit the nail on the head and that was your spontaneous reaction!
George Debono
Nov 8th 2008, 19:01
re "................trying to portray to the ignorant and gullible readers .........."
Readers of Times Ignorant and gullible eh?
Speak for yorselves Lino and Mark.
Nobody else likes hunting or hunters and we all can't wait for it to be banned for good.
YEAH , YEAH , YEAH !
G
Richard Cachia Zammit
Nov 8th 2008, 17:39
Mr M Mifsud Bonnici & Mr L Farrugia....just go on google and type "Checklist of Birds of China" and look it up. You will find that the Streptopelia turtur (European Turtle Dove) is in the list and is a resident bird found all year round. You seem to be so quick to try and discredit Birdlife that you don't even check your facts. If you two are trying to defend local hunters, I really pity them. Keep diging.
Richard Cachia Zammit
Nov 8th 2008, 15:57
What are these two talking about? No Turtle Doves in China? Haven’t they heard about the sub-species arenicola which has a range extending from the Balearic Islands and NW Africa up to Iran and extreme W CHINA??? As for the Lesser Spotted Eagle, it is not only Dr Raine that considers this species a European rarity but also the EU Bird directives as this species is included in Annex 1 list of birds in need of special protection and is given an unfavourable conservation status. But alas who are Dr Raine and the EU Commission when compared to the authors of this letter? But best of all is the statement that since the quails migrating over Malta form part of the global population, they also enjoy the global status of least concern. Do these two really believe they can win their argument with this type of reasoning???
J. Borg
Nov 8th 2008, 12:19
Hunters' representatives lose the plot once again
the UNDISPUTED FACT is that a PROTECTED bird was killed.
BirdLife has contributed to raptor camps to discourage such criminal acts, and has worked tirelessly to SAVE birds.
Hunters' reps have shied away from taking any proactive and effective steps - just allegedly simply drafted proposals - and appearing to downplay all the reports of abuses, where protected birds are KILLED. They have however been very vocal to defend the effective appropriation of our islands' countryside by their members.
Birds have always been rare on our islands, (shooting them down surely does not mitigate the problem). Moreover what is getting ever rarer, is a peaceful walk in the countryside without being showered with lead, verbally abused and/or frown upon by overgrown children who cannot let go of their shotgun deadly toy.
Erin Ciantar
Nov 8th 2008, 11:58
BORING!!!
When are you going to understand that only hunters believe letters?
Nobody else likes hunting or hunters and we all can't wait for it to be banned for good.