Hunters denounce shooting of protected birds

A Montebello

Apr 24th 2009, 10:18

THIS IS AN OPEN LETTER TO THE FKNK.
Your spokesperson, Perici Calascione, is doing your federation more harm than good. His constant denials and refusals to reprimand lawbreakers have become a joke - and the public simply DO NOT BELIEVE HIM AT ALL. His contradictions and faux pas have become classics.
His claim that hunters and trappers are suffering "very serious health and mental consequences" begs the question: SHOULD THESE PEOPLE BE ALLOWED TO CARRY GUNS? The authorities should insist all hunters produce a clean bill of mental health before issuing licenses. We all read about the recent mass shooting of school children in Germany. The shooter and "very serious health and mental" problems.
By stating that not opening traditional hunting has done "nothing to stop the few law-breakers" he admits that the KFNK has criminals within its ranks. Knowing how hunters brag about their catches, I am sure these "few" couple be weeded out with little effort.
Really, FKNK, get rid of Perici Calascione. He comes across as a very bitter man who gets you nothing but negative PR with the majority of the people. only succeeds in making hunters an undesirable part of our society.

R FERRIGGI

Apr 24th 2009, 09:31

xi had jista jispjega ghaliex meta tghaddi mil mizieb bhalissa filghodu kmieni tara certu pickups u vannijiet li JIDHRU CAR li ma humiex ta ambjentalisti......!!?!?

IL MAGGORANZA TAL POPLU IRID LI green wardens u il pulizija jghamlu xogholhom.

jew ghal parking u seat belts, u mobiles biss qedin,,,, cioe ghal gbir tal flus??

P.Azzopardi

Apr 24th 2009, 08:48

The proof that this owl was taken out from a freezer is from its eyes!!!!!Photos not only tends to distort the colour of feathers but even the places where it was really killed!!!

P.Azzopardi

Apr 24th 2009, 07:54

@ Ray Azzopardi

Mela intkom biss tifhmu fl ghasafar ghax tiehdu ritratt??? Mhux veru li fir ritratt il kulur ma jkunx car,filkas ghandek il camera tal lira.Forsi dawk li vera jifhmu fl ghasafar (mhux biss tal birdlies) jafu wkoll li ghasfur bhalissa jkun mbiddel sew u mhux bhal dik il kokka li hemm fir ritratt.Il-kulur tal kokka ta'april huwa aktar fil-hamrani u jekk toghqod tara xi ftit tv Mr.Raymond Azzopardi bhall ma naghmel jien,tkun taf wkoll u mhux tigi tinfamani li noqtol it-tajr illegali.

Fabian Borg

Apr 23rd 2009, 22:39

@Raymond Azzopardi.
Firstly I feel disgusted with the ease with which you accuse people you know so little about and also your biased way of making conclusions with regards the practices of how to put a piece of livestock down. Bet you never put down a rabbit or turkey for your sunday lunch but I am stopping there not to cross the line you fell over.

@Anthony Farrugia.
Ever heard of comparisons..
A comparison is used to explain something to someone not familiar with the subject, or not willing to understand, in order to actively align his thoughts to yours for him to understand the subject. There is good and bad in everything in life and putting down good with bad is just unfair.

Nobody here is protecting the poacher who put an end to the life of this owl as he must be really stupid to risk entering Buskett trying to find one. A scops owl could take long minutes to locate in a tree due to her cunning way to hide with branches so this guy had all the time to do the act but no time to collect his prey. Another case like hundreds before it ???????

j.camilleri

Apr 23rd 2009, 22:19

FKNK, if traditional hunting and trapping is to survive you need to control the few irresponsible law-breakers yourself. The general public do not believe you any more.

Sylvana Zarb Darmanin

Apr 23rd 2009, 20:58

Mr / Ms J Borg, according to your reasoning we should expect that all poachers are rounded up then! Sir / Madam, I would wish to know of your mental and physical sufferings were your hobby to be banned!

To all those rejoicing with the mental trauma being experienced by law-abiding hunters, I suggest they join some organisation similar to Hospice - their encouragement would indeed help!

Mr / Ms N Attard, please be decent enough to compare like with like! How would you feel were you to be forced to lock up your motorbike in a garage and BANNED FROM USING IT?!!

Mr Raymond Azzopardi, I believe that you consider ornithologists as being poachers since besides knowing the birds' colours they can also identify flying birds as having lead shots! And btw. are you a poacher yourself? You seem to be aware of the colours of birds, similar to P Azzopardi!!

Raymond Azzopardi

Apr 23rd 2009, 16:49

P.Azzopardi seems very familiar with the colour of scops owl in spring.
and for his info, scops owl colour varies with adults and juveniles, as well as with race and regional origin. Also, photos tend to distort the colour of feathers, as i have myself discovered when photographing LIVE birds. Very different from when you actually see it dead in the hand mr azzopardi.

Anthony Farrugia

Apr 23rd 2009, 15:56

@ Anthony Formosa: Thought the news item was about the state of mind of hunters in denial as deprived of their socio-cultural addiction , er pastime : slaughter of anything that flies and comes within range. Where alcohol and drugs mentioned in this news item or are we reading different newspapers?
Must be a case of lettuce and hot air!

J. Borg

Apr 23rd 2009, 14:39

@ stephen grech

firstly it's your "delizju" which is at stake....thus you sit on your laurels at your own expense.

Secondly, sincerely i feel no compassion for anyone who feels depressed simply because he cannot satisfy his lust to kill birds.

Especially when such lust has for years robbed everyone else from the real mentally & physically enriching opportunity to peacefully enjoy the countryside.

stephen grech

Apr 23rd 2009, 13:45

@d. borg

If you think that this statement made by FKNK is far fetched I suggest to you to see what has been said by a Maltese anthropolgist who was on Dissett programme when the hunting issue was discussed. If you don't understand a subject, it would be better if you don't speak about it rather than make a fool of yourself with your comments. This is the video and I urge you to watch it and better still to listen to it with attention and then surely you will change your mind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v68RFLd8ask

d. borg

Apr 23rd 2009, 12:19

"Instances of mental cases and people on anti-depressants have increased a lot because of the ban," Mr Perici Calascione said.
-
This statement is really far-fetched. To feel this way just because you cannot practice a "sport" is ridiculous. There are so many other hobbies one can take up. By the way, if they really feel this way, then they honestly should not be allowed to carry firearms.

nmifsud

Apr 23rd 2009, 12:07

l-ahjar haga hi li ma sirx aktar kacca u lanqas insib ghax id-dinja ahna qed neqirduwa. dak mhux passatemp imma mohqrija. Hawn hafna aktar passatempi li ma jinhaqar xejn u hadd. Jekk dawn ihobbu jisparaw imorru jisparaw fuq il plattini. Le ghal kacca u le ghal insib.

Anthony Formosa

Apr 23rd 2009, 11:37

@ A.Montebello, yes its true we're all suffering this injustice, and do not wish that one day it will happen to you. With your reasoning to stop calling hunting a sport, then we should not call alcohol as entertainment, what is the pleasure in alcohol, get drunk? fight? driving under the influence and kill innocent people, so shall we ban alcohol or we try to control everything?

@ J.Borg: Are you, BLM, and the government ready for good will, to sit down and discuss with the FKNK? there were no negotiations on this matter, just ban, contrary to what was promised and guaranteed.

@Anthony Farrugia: Do You know were are the most mental problems? In places were alcohol is found, fighting and killing each other, vandalism on others property, bouncers kicking students in their faces, out of bounds for families with children. So according to you who frequent these places of entertainment must surely have a very serious mental health problem. No No No we don't want to see anymore kids dying with drug abuse or traffic accidents in the middle of the night, BAN it its much more safer.

lmercieca

Apr 23rd 2009, 11:23

According to Mr Calascione to alleviate "Instances of mental cases and people on anti-depressants" he suggest handing a gun to these people to feel better???? And also how would the self regulation system said to work if the persons involved are not in a good state of mind. Very contradicting.

Also contradicting is the fact that whilst the FKNK accuses the government of not being able to stop the "few" poachers, this same week FKNK said there is no need to beef up ALE resources......

stephen grech

Apr 23rd 2009, 11:20

@jborg
Why don't you join the CABS members yourself and apprehend anyone you see carrying a gun instead of telling others what to do! Sitting behind your computer and pointing your fingers against FKNK or hunters in general is not enough. By the way you must have a conscience to understand the meaning of someone suffering from mental & physical trauma and by your ad nauseum biased comments you leave me in doubt....

N Attard

Apr 23rd 2009, 11:14

@ P Azzopardi-
I dont want to discuss with you the freezer issue cos it seems that from many comments people like you send, Birdlife must have an enourmous freezer with all types of dead birds in stock to put out every now and then. This is nonsense! I am sure this was killed by someone irresponsible.
What do you have to say about the shots I am hearing every morning coming from Delimara and Marsaxlokk areas? Or does birdlife has a stereo surround system with recorded shot sounds installed around Malta and switches it on every morning as well?
Regarding the mental cases and tragedies mentioned by Mr. Perici Calascone, I am sorry to say this but do you think it is any people's business?
I am a motorbike enthusiast and do not take any anti depressants because the state of Malta roads are very dangerous and can kill me instantly even when driving slowely. Although I strongly condemn the govt for our dangerous roads I am not taking any anti depressants and bluff about it to make people pity the hobby which I cannot fully enjoy in peace and safely.

Anthony Farrugia

Apr 23rd 2009, 11:04

People with" very serious health and mental problems", "mental cases on anti-depressants" roaming the countryside with guns is a defenite no-no; renewal of hunting/trapping licences should be conditional if accompanied with a medical certificate showing a clean bill of mental health.
We do not want any more "tragedies"!

J. Borg

Apr 23rd 2009, 10:57

Just denouncing killing of protected birds is not enough, FKNK – effective action to mitigate such abuse is needed. Just like the CABS initiative.

It is pretty obvious that during a hunting ban, any thug carrying or (even more) using a shotgun in the countryside would stark out (wearing a balaclava or not). Thus it is easier to round up these criminals now, than it would be in Autumn.

Throughout the years that ‘thousands of bona-fide hunters’ were out hunting they surely must have witnessed protected birds being killed by their criminal peers – however neither the former nor FKNK had the spine to confront these criminals or at least report them to the Police. If FKNK is now ready to co-operate but insisting on getting additional privileges in return – these should be clearly spelled out.

If any hunter is suffering mental & physical trauma, this is solely due to his lust to kill a bird. One would think that walking in the countryside, breathing fresh air and enjoying the company of a faithful dog is very rewarding – and surely still available for all – with the added complement of hearing birdsong rather than shotgun blasts.

a montebello

Apr 23rd 2009, 10:36

Joe Perici Calascione is admitting that "thousands of hunters and trappers" - presumably members of his federation - are suffering "serious mental health problems" and depression. And he's fighting for them to creep around in our countryside with a gun in their hand? No thank you.
I am one of the vast - too often, silent - majority of people who cannot comprehend the joy of waking up at the crack of dawn to slaughter little birds which seems a crazy enough idea to me. But given Mr Perici Calascione's shocking revelation, I strongly recommend that a psychiatric evaluation be included when applying renewal of licenses.
Please lets stop calling hunting a "sport". Given the way the lead-shot spreads when discharged means the unsuspecting bird stands no sporting chance at all. Perhaps if hunters, like their ancestors, took up a bow and arrow, the birds would have a chance and then it might be called a sport.
Instead of arguing that this barbaric practice is "a traditional pastime", I suggest that hunters take up Bizilla instead. its traditional... and it hurts nobody.

P.Azzopardi

Apr 23rd 2009, 10:01

This scoops owl is not from this spring season!!This time the scoops owl colour more in reddish/brownish .

They must have got it out from the freezer from the past autumn hunting season!!