Daniel Xrieha, Birkirkara
Taking aim at legal rabbit hunting (1)
In the letter BirdLife Not Against Legal Hunting (May 15), André Raine, Birdlife Malta's full-time biologist, makes BirdLife's position on legal hunting perfectly clear. "I wish to make it very clear that BirdLife Malta is not against legal hunting as permitted by the Birds Directive. I hope that these various individuals finally get this very basic message, as it is one that we have already publically stated on numerous occasions."
It took just 17 days for them to prove that whatever BirdLife Malta says can never be trusted or believed. On conclusions reached by the same Dr Raine, BirdLife Malta is now asking for a ban on the legal shooting of wild rabbits.
Being one of the most ancient and popular forms of hunting in Malta, rabbit hunting is conducted primarily as a form of pest control where all the rabbits shot certainly do not go to waste. It comes as no surprise that due to its prolific status, the rabbit has for centuries featured as one of Malta's main culinary delights. Malta happens to be one of the few countries that have a specific season for rabbit shooting since all other countries hunt this agricultural pest all year round using any means possible in order to eradicate it. Rabbit hunting is totally legal in Malta, yet BirdLife Malta also wants this form of legal hunting banned.
The same article carries a photomontage of a rabbit bearing eagle wings. How very appropriate, it seems that all things related to BirdLife have wings including their statement about accepting legal hunting. Who can ever believe what they say?
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Ray Mangani
Jun 3rd 2009, 21:24
To confirm all this nonsense regarding breeding on our islands, I publicly challenge
Mr Raine and bella compagnia that if he proves that just ONE pair of each of the seven song birds bred ; chaffinch, goldfinch, hawfinch, siskin, serin , greenfinch and linnet and one turtle dove and one quail bred in Malta during these last two years, I will give up hunting and bird trapping and join them. But if on the contrary he would join us!!!!!!!
How about that Mr. Raine???
r sammut
Jun 3rd 2009, 14:00
BirdLife lip service is always there of never wanting a total hunting ban!
Starting at the referred letter’s loophole title and through its entirety the message perceived is that the Maltese Islands are teeming with left over migratory birds, rearing to have a go at establishing nests! Only now these have no chance once open the rabbit season!
What birds and where? There weren’t many in peak migration (no millions???). And now that migration has long lost any useful sell by date, is it that now birds might wish of a restart?
Why hasn’t ever BL substantiate its claim, publishing any observed prospective nesting site before such season? Why always blame hunters of non existent bird and their whereabouts?
Tony Caruana
Jun 3rd 2009, 11:57
I was never interested in Rabbit Hunting but now i shall apply for a licence since i do not have spring hunting.
Joe Camilleri
Jun 3rd 2009, 10:13
The rabbit hunting loophole is nothing but a lame excuse from fenek/birdLIFE malta, since no birds stayed here to breed although there was a 2 year ban on spring hunting, 5 year ban on trapping and 25 years that commino is a nature reserve.
Also all birds in Ghadira Brackish Reserve have migrated North, and for sure, there is no rabbit hunting.