Times' cartoon of FKNK president "not libellous"

Jos Vella

Jan 10th 2009, 17:23

ara veru ma fadalx fejn tasal...why a libel??..where is the sense of humor!! or it was treated as libellous because it is not common that birds in Malta never make it until 3.00!!! Sur Joe Buttigieg, I think that the maltese community knows that you represent a federation and that a minority (I hope) of the members break the rules (if they are members after all)...

RObert Callus

Jan 10th 2009, 14:43

THis is ridiculous. If this could be interpreted as libellous, nearly all cartoons are. Or ant kind of free speech.

Insinuating he was hunting the osprey (without even having the gun even pointed at it) is similar to insinuating that ospreys can speak and wear watches.

Andrew Gat

Jan 10th 2009, 11:58

@ J Borg........thanks for confirming that you want ALL hunting - which, may I remind you is legally practised ALL OVER THE WORLD including the EU - to be banned. You may disagree with legal game hunting all you like. You may love birds all you like. But calling for a ban on something practised world-wide simply because you disapprove says much more about you, Birdlife, CABS etc. than anything else!

How would you feel if YOUR hobbies were subjected to the same barrage ad nauseum of ban this, ban that, blah blah.........? Your comment is insensitive and extremist. You are not being constructive at all! Trapping - stopped, Spring Hunting - stopped temporarily last season. Autumn hunting - restricted. Reserves and prohibited areas - increasing. Hunters in general - hassled, insulted, vilified, parodied. Are you people never satisfied? Are you people never content?

There is room for both hunting AND birdwatching. Comments like yours are the other side of the extremist coin.

Kristina Mamo

Jan 10th 2009, 10:27

Why was Joseph Buttigieg so upset with the cartoon? it's a cool pic.

Justin Borg

Jan 10th 2009, 10:24

@ Andrew Gatt
FKNK have very often been aggressive and its members committed illegal acts, said libellious words in public and generally behaved badly - of course they'll be caricatured. Birdlife on the other hand has behaved well and has an excellent reputation. I think there should be MORE jokes against FKNK because they deserve contempt, not fairness.
It's not just you who is living and hoping for a better day - birdlovers too... we live and hope all hunting would be abolished forever.

Andrew Gatt

Jan 10th 2009, 09:52

@ Stefan....let me clarify......as a law abiding hunter I detest the shooting of protected birds as much - if not more - as Birdlife.

But also the detest the blanket accusations, the exaggerations, the lies, the backtracking, the misinformation, the inflammatory statements and the abolitionist methods that Birdlife et al use. And it is painfully obvious where The Times' sympathies lie. The amount of coverage they give to Birdlife is STAGGERING. It is nothing less than a barrage of anti-hunting propoganda - photos, articles, comments etc. - usually carefully timed for maximum impact. For once, JUST FOR ONCE, can we have the other side of the coin? For fairness's sake?

That's my point.

salvu abela

Jan 9th 2009, 14:46

Is it true that a while ago when FKNK made a protest march ,a bloke witha wooden copy of a shotgun was fined by the court 250 Malta Liri . But in most village "FESTA " one could see children running around with imitation handguns ,I think that is discrimination against HUNTERS and the FKNK.

S Mizzi

Jan 9th 2009, 13:46

Jason Borg, just remember the old saying though, who laughs last laughs best.

Ramon Azzopardi

Jan 8th 2009, 22:52

@Stefan Sammut. As far as my mind can think Andrew Gatt has in no way offended birdlife I'm sorry. Like him, I wonder, when would it be the day that The Times would publish a Cartoon that makes fun of Bird Life! Nothing wrong in writing what we wish no!?

Jason Borg

Jan 8th 2009, 22:28

@ Andrew Gatt - Forget it, Andy. BirdLife does not occupy the unenviable position of being the the # 1 laughing stock NGO of Malta.

Stefan Sammut

Jan 8th 2009, 20:04

@Andrew Gatt.
I am not baised and not even a birdlife member. Noone is perfect.
But what is Birdlife doing wrong in your opinion? Is trying to protect the protected birds wrong?

J. Galea

Jan 8th 2009, 19:49

It's amasing what the media machine in this country can do to turn the cikku il-poplu against a section of the maltese population. Everyone get be thier target anytime. What is worst is the arrogance that it uses.

Andrew Gatt

Jan 8th 2009, 18:42

I live and hope for the day that The Times publishes a cartoon - or anything else for that matter - that pokes fun at Birdlife & Co. Just for fairnesses' sake.

All in vain so far! Wonder why?

Stefan Sammut

Jan 8th 2009, 18:42

Welldone times! FKNK should have other things or priorities to think about.
The first one should be to educate some of their members to respect nature!

J. Borg

Jan 8th 2009, 18:26

How touchy can the FKNK be!

If only it is likewise very sensitive to others, when issuing its press releases, public statements and the comments on its website!

Anthony Formosa

Jan 8th 2009, 16:34

Indeed such caricatures easily misguide the public, for instance, I remember when a delegation from the EU visited Malta to observe the hunting situation, in a particular place, they noticed Charlie a hunter in his hunting hide just looking at flock of Honey Buzzards, and guess what was reported, that by the way he was looking he was ready to shoot, Poor Charlie probably he was looking at flies around is head.

It's true f'hiex wasalna you can't look at anyting without being accused.