Birdwatchers report 'gifts left by poachers'

David Buttigieg

Sep 25th 2009, 23:59

@IGalea,

To me you are more "foreign" then anybody born outside these shores ever could be!

Also I strongly suggest you improve your English, but then again you probably see no need to.

The overwhelming majority of the Maltese voted to join the EU precisely so that even Maltese authorities could be held accountable and "foreigners" as you call them have every right in the world to demand we obey EU law which is our law too!

Ah yes, you still dream your dream that Malta will ever choose to leave don't you?

G.Pisani

Sep 25th 2009, 18:22

@M.Cardona Wow ghandek biex tkun proud ukoll. Killing living innocent things and calling yourself proud. Thank you M.Cardona for not letting me enjoy MY and all the Maltese people's country side in peace and quite and from now and then see a bird fly in peace. But NO I live in Malta,so only 10% of the country can enjoy the country side. Is that right Mr.Gonzi??

Anthony Borg

Sep 25th 2009, 16:42

@Michelle Caruana
Kif ikun hawn accident ikrah tal-karozza minn xi wiehed irresponsabbli, jew fis-sakra nghidu lil gvern biex jikkonfiskalna il karozzi kollha u noghodu nmorru ix-xoghol etc bir-rota..
HALLINA IDDAHAKNIEX TRID!!!

Sylvana Zarb Darmanin

Sep 25th 2009, 15:55

Michelle Caruana, should we take you seriously?! Are you aware that the majority of hunters are law-abiding? Maybe not, because your blinkers and extremism will not allow you to see such facts. It might interest you to learn that poachers when caught do have their shotguns confiscated. This is similar to withholding of driving licence if caught driving irresponsibly, etc.

Michelle Caruana

Sep 25th 2009, 14:18

Why don't the authorities just confiscate all the guns? If the hunters can't abide by the law, then they shouldn't have them. Presumably their licenses are for a stipulated purpose / timeframe, they are not following the law so confiscate I say.

DVella

Sep 25th 2009, 12:32

Ah . . . for a change the voice of FKNK has no comment about this disgusting incident . . . . how strange!!

@ Joseph Schembri . . . .

I believe those ships containing toxic and radioactive waste which featured in the news recently were actually sunk by the italians themselves, allegedly by the 'Camorra' but then again . . . . that might be a convenient excuse . . . . !! Where did the russians come into the picture??

Raymond Sammut

Sep 24th 2009, 19:51

@ Joseph Schembri

What made you blame the Russians? The radioactive waste allegedly dumped into the med had accumulated at European hospitals. European countries, especially Germany, are plagued with piles of this material and they cannot find a remedy. Their only hope is to try and re-use isotopes, but this is proving to be very costly technology.

Hirschfeld said: "...the discovery of a 'cemetery' of birds in Mizieb was one of the worst environmental crimes in Europe." Hirschfeld is merely a bird-activist and not some marine biologist (as far as I know). What he said is within his area of expertise. Shooting a protected bird is bad enough. It is, in fact, a criminal offense. But here it's not just a protected bird. It's enough birds to make just that --a cemetrey of protected birds. That's as bad as it gets.

Apologists claim that this is the result of the EU decision --alleging that bird-activists planted these dead birds in FKNK territory. They prune the trees, they clean the Mizieb, they look after the place, but they never saw anything suspicious. All these protected birds being shot down and they ask for justice. It doesn't make sense.

Raymond Sammut

Sep 24th 2009, 13:58

I find it hard to understand how a place like Mizieb can be referred to as a "picnic area". I cannot see how any Maltese family would want to go there. This unless, perhaps, these families belong to the "hunting" community.

If a hunter places a dead (or a wounded) bird beneath a stone, under the watchful eyes of his Maltese hunting dog, it is understandable that the dog will not disturb it. The animal is trained to retrieve; not to disturb. The Maltese hunting dog is too smart to worry about a dead bird under a stone.

Most hunters, if not all, cannot get themselves to admit that they find it extremely hard to resist shooting down a bird, whether the bird is protected or not. If the bird turns out to be protected, they place it under a rock upon retrieval, and together with their dog they move on. This behaviour goes on and on, day after day, until eventually a bird cemetery is created. This pattern is likely to be known to the Malta police. All the bird-watchers have to do is to ask the Malta Police Commissioner. He may know all about it.

Joseph Schembri

Sep 24th 2009, 11:50

"...the discovery of a 'cemetery' of birds in Mizieb was one of the worst environmental crimes in Europe. "

I abhor hunting but to say this is one of the worst environmental crimes to have been committed shows short sightedness and a wish to grab media headlines.

I am thinking of the news a few days ago where it was revealed that the Mediterranean was until quite recently being used to sink ships containing toxic waste, probably also radioactive materials, by the Russians.

Killing birds for 'pleasure' for me is environmentally and morally wrong but dumping radioactive substances with half lives of thousands of years in the sea that feeds us is far worse in my opinion. One must remember that killing a bird is a simple thing. But dumping long lived toxins in the sea makes them enter food chains that eventually reach the highest trophic levels including some birds and humans.... with disastrous results that are much more far reaching than simple and stupid hunting.

M. Cardona

Sep 24th 2009, 11:18

@All Antis

I too abhor killing of endangered and/or protected species. And yes I am a hunter. And am PROUD to be, always been, always will be, because whilst you view the natural environment as an enclosure where humans should not be involved, my hunting practices have enabled an interaction with and real love of the natural environment. Thus whilst you view from the outside, I participate, I harvest but in the meantime out of my own personal pocket and hard labour, I plant and nourish trees, rebuild rubble walls, weed around the trees to avoid summer fires etc, thereby regenerating our depleted habitats. YOU? You can only criticise and despise fellow human beings for their differing beliefs and practices, without a whiff of what it really means to be a hunter.

Keep up the name calling, it exposes who is really cruel, who really ought to be ashamed, where the disgrace really lies, who is really ignorant, who is trying to fool who, who is really a danger, who doesn't keep his promises, who is really disgusting, who ought to be more careful of his record with the LORD, and who is the real terrorist.

Sylvana Zarb Darmanin

Sep 24th 2009, 11:17

Darren J Galea, similarly, you should learn to distinguish between Poachers and Hunters! Or are you conveniently mixing them up?! Yes Sir, I reiterate: the Maltese hunters are law-abiding individuals who harbour respect, integrity and values much higher than most citizens in the Netherlands! The real joke of the year Mr Galea (incidentally that is the way well-mannered individuals address others!) is insinuating that I am stirring "up racial hatred to defer people from the facts" when hatred is so existent in the anti-hunting lobby!

S. Camilleri

Sep 24th 2009, 11:16

@Kathy Elliot, Marco Meli
Real hunters do hunt for keeps... but we're not talking real hunter here! These are people who'd shoot at anything that flies for the buzz of killing. To hell if its protected, food or if there is a remote chance of retrieving the prey.
As to why the bury their birds... that is as far as these people can think. They bury them for fear of being caught in the hope of retrieving them at more convenient times.

C Mallia

Sep 24th 2009, 10:48

@all those criticising BLM and CABS

The aim and only interest of these organisations is bird protection. That should be very clear to all. There is no vote catching exercises from these voluntiers, but they work incessantly because they believe in their cause. Its that simple.

What they are uncovering, whether foreign or Maltese, is what they actually find in the Maltese countryside. They film, call the ALE as soon as illegalities occur and tell the world what is happening. The ALE has been present during its operation at Mizieb.

What is loudly silent is that there have been no press releases from our politicians, no press releases either from the police. Politicians and police who should be defending Malta from anything bad that happens to it. Before last election both the PN and the PL made many people think that they are turning quite pro-environmental and greeny. Our PM also took MEPA under his wing. Goes to show what their real agenda is.

lgalea

Sep 24th 2009, 10:18

As if any hunter would not take what he shoots and leave them there!!

lesley kreupl Hunting is still legal in your country and it shall never be banned in Malta whether you like it or not. I am not a hunter.

Joe Pimental
How about fox-hunting with hounds that tear foxes apart in your own country Joe? How about the vast criminal situation where yobs knife people every day apart from widespread crime Joe? Stop preaching because we are no longer your colony of the british empire where the sun used to never set. It has set a long time ago Joe so wake up and smell the coffee.

Paulien Verhoeven, Amanda Van Zant
How about the exploitation and the savagery your animal compatriots did to human beings in their exploration for foreign lands and riches Paulien? Why don't you see the beam in your eyes before criticizing others? How about cannabis widely available from your coffee shops including abortion, prostitution all legalized? If you don't like it don't come because interfering foreigners like you and CABS are NOT welcome. The SHAME is on YOU.

Kathy Elliot

Sep 24th 2009, 08:37

I have some honest doubts rising up here. While I abhor hunting myself, I realise that everyone has the right to taste and hobby, and where it is done legally, I cannot go in with placards and megaphones; I'm not a teenager anymore. I admit that I would like it if hunting dwindled down to nothing, but that's not up to me to decide. What I'm concerned about here is that I know, with certainty, that any hunter worth his salt _keeps_ his catches. And reading the comments below, I really am a bit disconcerted with families picnicking with their dogs, perhaps, not finding the site. This worries me, because if the CABS or any other association is found to have planted the site faudulently, they will lose all the precious ground obtained. I hope everyone in the matter will be careful, and fingers not pointed too soon, or it may be disastrous for more than one party.

marco meli

Sep 24th 2009, 06:33

some of you, including foreigners (together with BLM + CABS) are accusing us (hunters) of this massacre. Why don't you report every hunter to the police then? Don't forget to give police the evidence you have, otherwise your effort would be in vain. It's hard to believe that over 200 birds have been found at mizieb and no one ever saw anything, including all those hundreds of people who frequent mizieb every weekend for picnics. Is it possible that with 200 decomposing birds around nobody smelt anything??? and those who turn stones in search for snails??? And family dogs roaming around??? NEIHTER????

victorvella

Sep 24th 2009, 06:13

It still amazes me how as soon as the court issued it's verdict all hell broke loose.I am sorry birdlife and cabs I don't believe 1 iota of what you say and I am not a hunter.

Dave Gladwish

Sep 24th 2009, 01:21

There have been several comments over the past few days addressing the following question: 'How come no one else has come across these dead birds in Mizieb?'. From what I can gather, there are only two things these individuals could be implying. (1) That Birdlife/CABS killed birds to plant there themselves (2) Birdlife/CABS found birds that were already dead and planted them there themselves. The first obviously doesn't need addressing, but the second; what would a conservation group achieve by moving dead birds under rocks in one area? It's a known fact that hunters are blowing protected species out of the sky all over the island, it doesn't matter where they were found or under which stone. It is obvious these ignorant comments are coming from hunters out to protect themselves or people with hunter friends or family.

Lawrence Cardona

Sep 24th 2009, 00:31

from my side i'm not going to blame no one of what happened but i think a real investigation must be done cause it's not right to blame someone until he is proven guilty so please stop this once and for all sit around a table and come wiith a solution and on the other hand i don't think we need someone coming from an other country to find a solution for us i belive in maltese people that they can come with a solution themselves or maybe it was the truth that our country was lost and we needed to join the e.u. so other countries takes decisions for us please don't let me loose my trust in maltese people i belive in malta for the maltese wake up before it's to late

Darren J. Galea

Sep 23rd 2009, 22:48

@Sylvana Zarb Darmanin
Just listen to yourself:
"...values much higher than most citizens in the Netherlands". "...you are an example of your co-citizens". "...hold accountable those foreigners".

It seems that your objective is to stir up racial hatred to defer people from the facts; Maltese POACHERS (let's not call them anything else) need to be disciplined and controlled, since they are far from capable of controling themselves. The FKNK are toothless.

Incidentally, "...Maltese hunters are law-abiding individuals who harbour respect, integrity and values" - exactly who are you trying to fool? Don't make us laugh Darmanin, joke of the century.

emanuel zammit

Sep 23rd 2009, 20:51

if one gets the opportunity to hear hunters converse , one would know how much of fake conservationists they are. they are full of hate to whoever dares say some thing against their pastime. they are no men who can keep a promise.

S. Camilleri

Sep 23rd 2009, 20:38

@Charles Bugeja
What so off putting with CABS? What tactics are you referring to? Are you so naive to contemplate that these people are shooting birds from the sky to write an article. Of course and the Holocaust is a figment of the imagination and herr Adolf was just a misunderstood statesman.
Here's news for you. Hunters are perfectly capable of digging their own grave! CABS are just showing us what they are doing. IF it is true, that poachers are just a minority then I expect their association to take proactive action and do the work of CABS.

lesley kreupl

Sep 23rd 2009, 20:26

If 'grown-up men' with guns can't control themselves, and they obviously can't, then they are a danger to everyone in Malta and Gozo. The only solution is to ban hunting for good, something which should have been done years ago. Sad for those law-abiding hunters (are there any?) but they had their chance to condemn their illegal colleagues and missed it.

Sylvana Zarb Darmanin

Sep 23rd 2009, 20:23

"animals would be offended if I compared them to the Maltese hunters" Shame on you Paulien Verhoeven. How dare you address the Maltese hunters this way. I assure you that the Maltese hunters are law-abiding individuals who harbour respect, integrity and values much higher than most citizens in the Netherlands! Maybe you should inform yourself regarding the difference between hunters and poachers. If you are an example of your co-citizens, I assure you that you fair badly compared to the Maltese who know the meaning of good manners! Is this your level of education, Madam?! Your words have indeed exposed the pitiful state you are in!

Amanda Van Zant, quite surprised with your comments coming from Amsterdam. I was there, I witnessed and was disappointed to say the least! Well, maybe, birds are more important for you than human beings.

Finally, I urge the Government to take the necessary steps and hold accountable those foreigners leading a local NGO who are doing their utmost to tarnish Malta's reputation.

D Delia

Sep 23rd 2009, 20:07

Perhaps this is a sort of vendetta or somebody is trying to send a message.
It reminds me of those 3000 trees sawn off in Mellieha. Some people have some nerve!

For those who think these foreigners are doing a bad to Malta. It’s us who give Malta a bad name with our barbaric acts.

Edward Camilleri

Sep 23rd 2009, 19:55

The reason that CABS only find illegal killed birds, is that no one else is looking for them. No one cares! I have to meet yet a hunter who doesn't brag about his birds of prey in a show case. But it seems that many (including politicians) are happy about the status quo, else police will be ordered or left to do their work.

Resorting to bad language and foul play only confirms how guilty these individuals are! If they are not guilty, they will not fear cabs!

E.Camilleri

Sep 23rd 2009, 19:32

Bird watchers please note:
Me and 3 friends were camping these last 3 days at Selmun clay cliffs near the salt pans. Every morning we were disrupted by sounds of gun shots and on two occassions we saw birds falling from the sky (literally)!! Apart from that, we were told by one of the many men with guns and dogs, to move out of HIS area as selmun was all his property!! I am sure that this was just a threat for us to move out of their way so that they may continue with their disgusting hobby!!!
Somebody stop this please!

Charles Bugeja

Sep 23rd 2009, 18:44

I am no hunter. I am no birdwatcher. Still i admire these creatures who fill our skies. BUT....I i am fed up of these Cabs , BLM and birdwathcers tactics. Not that there is no illegal hunting. Irresponsible shooters. So much so there are irresponsible guys who want to eradicate our tradition. I doubtfully think that things are being made up to reach to their objective. Ms Zarb Darmanin and Mr Muscat's comments are so much in place. So Mr Pimental and company I myself am fedup up with tactics. There is much to do elsewhere. To me all sides, anti and pro are evil.

E. Azzopardi

Sep 23rd 2009, 18:32

But why is it that birdwatchers always make this up? Haven't we enough proof of what is happening around us? This is a small island and nothing can be hidden from the truth.
Wait for it. It will not be long before we start getting fined and then the vast majority, repeat, the vast majority will not be happy about it.

John Inguanez

Sep 23rd 2009, 18:30

Dear Birdlife and Cabs members, do you know how many people picnic in the Miżieb area and it had to be you to unearth what you term as a "mass cemetery"? I have one question: why Birdlife Malta has become such a militant organization? Do they imagine what a disaster to tourism they are doing? Do they think that everyone believe them?
And why these cemetery are found during these camps? Could they be frame-ups?

Carmelo Nenu Aquilina

Sep 23rd 2009, 18:27

@ Mr joe Primental: Malta daħlet fl-Ewropa biex f' Malta tkompli tissaħħaħ id-demokrazija, u mhux biex ngħaddu lill kaċċaturi kollha bl-assoċjazzjoni b'kollox bħala kriminali!
Iva mela, naqbel miegħek il-gvern Malti għandu jiftaħ investigazzjoni u jara:
1)Dak il-qabar ta' tajr mejjet meta sar!
2)Dawk it-tajr li nstabu fil-qabar meta tpoġġew fiħ
3)Dawk it-tajr meta inqatlu u fejn inqatlu!
4) jieġu interrogati dawk il-persuni kollha li kienu preżenti meta dan il-qabar instab!
5)jiġi investigat ukoll x'kienet ir-raġuni li din l-aħbar ġiet imxandra b'mod spettakulari ma l-erba tirjieħ tad-dinja!
6)kif instab u x'mezzi intużaw biex instab dan il-qabar spettakulari!
Għax dak kollu li sar għamel ħsara lill Malta u lill Maltin!
Ejjew inkunu lkoll aħwa Maltin u mhux inħallu lill barranin iġelduna ma xulxien, u javveluna mad-dinja kollha!

Malcolm Borg

Sep 23rd 2009, 18:00

What a disgrace of a situation! So long for the environment as one of the government's pillars. The environment is not only the planting of some trees! It is the protection of life in all its diversity.
I suggest the government buys all the shotguns from hunters and lease them out individually during the open season to honest hunters. If the hunter is caught hunting illegally he should be banned from practising his killing....erm...hobby!
We are spending thousands on the tourism package and yet the island is being blacklisted by tourists all over the world. This story was all over the world and people everywhere are disgusted.
What can the FKNK say to defend itself? If I were them I would also say that it's a frame-up. What can I say? That some of my members are a bunch of uneducated, mindless and pathetic human beings?

adrian aquilina

Sep 23rd 2009, 17:53

oliver grech is clutching at straws trying to make excuses for the disgusting way the hunters shoot all that flies...there has always been illigal hunting and after being given the laws and the rules it continues..if you tell someone to drive slow or you take their car and they continue to drive fast it is their fault their car is taken..same here.ban hunting..it is the hunters who are to blame.noone else..they cant behave like decent human beings....

Anthony Borg

Sep 23rd 2009, 17:34

@Amanda Van Zant
Is the country you live in, the same country that has abortion, drugs and prostitution legalized?

@ K. Mifsud
Jekk qieghed f'ghajnejk it-travu ma nafux imma go ghajnejna mhux zgur.

Adrian Cardona

Sep 23rd 2009, 17:25

@Oliver Grech
"The Maltese have had enough of these dirty tricks."
Actually the Maltese (the vast majority who hate criminals cioe) have had enough of people trying to defend obscene occurrences like these.
Was the hunter caught with 29 illegally shot birds in his house a CABS frame up as well?! Your 'tghazieq fl-ilma" is not even mildly amusing any more...it's simply pathetic.

D.Zammit

Sep 23rd 2009, 17:22

at least we don't have cannabis served at coffee shops dear Amanda Van Zant.

j cutajar

Sep 23rd 2009, 17:19

The fact remains you get enjoyment from killing harmless birds,there's nothing hunters can do or say that will ever get my sympathy for such faceless cowardice, in fact my anger grows more & more with every shot i hear.
In time i hope they evolve to change their flight path .& shame on birdlife planting all those dead birds,,whatever possessed you to think that hunters kill birds??

Chris Finch

Sep 23rd 2009, 17:10

It is shameful of the FKNK and the other hunters, that instead of investigating which of their members shot these birds in Mizeib, they claim it is a frame-up.
Shame shame and shame.
You know your days shooting at whatever you want are numbered. Time to hang up the shotguns boys and pick up the cameras. You will 'shoot' many more birds this way, and even the same one more than once.
Maybe then your record will be clean when it is time to meet the Lord.

Paulien Verhoeven

Sep 23rd 2009, 17:09

This story is heartwrenching, this is not something you expect to happen in the 21st century from a country that boasts of having one of the oldest civilisations and cultures of the world. Some culture, some civilisation....Maltese hunters who perform such barbaric acts are more like barbarians and animals than people. No, let me take it back, because animals would be offended if I compared them to the Maltese hunters. What a disgrace. Your country has really made the news here in the Netherlands today!

Oliver Grech

Sep 23rd 2009, 16:50

Saw this posting says it all !

"I am not a hunter but why mention mass graves? Is this another German history lesson?

Anyone who has some common sense knows that any dog will not pass next to a dead animal/bird or creature and ignore it... It is in their nature to retrieve, fetch or play with anything that lays on the ground... therefore can someone explain how the hunters' dogs did not bother to look into this Mass Grave and fetch all those birds! :)

This is hilarious. I hope that the police seriously look into this possible frame-up and bring justice afloat. The Maltese have had enough of these dirty tricks.

Michael Muscat

Sep 23rd 2009, 16:49

Cabs and BLM appear to be using the same tactics that were used by the Australian Greenies in the state of Victoria ,Australia in the 80`s against the duck hunters but as the Maltese saying goes "Iz-zejt dejjem tela f`wicc l`ilma " and it was the Greenies who got arrested and not the hunters.

Amanda Van Zant

Sep 23rd 2009, 16:48

This is horrible news, Malte should be ashamed to allow this obscenity to happen in this country.
This story is all over the Amsterdam news today, I just read about it. How horrible, horrible!!!!!!
What a shameful news, I will never again visit this disgrace of a place and I will make sure no one in my family and friends will not visit their too.

K. Mifsud

Sep 23rd 2009, 16:25

@ Sylvana Zarb Darmanin

Sfortunatament, it-travu f'ghajnejna qieghed.

Sandro Zahra

Sep 23rd 2009, 16:20

i dont think that the Birdwatchers are making this up!!! I am sure that illegal hunting in Malta exist!!

Sylvana Zarb Darmanin

Sep 23rd 2009, 16:11

Well Mr Joe Pimental, while at it, it would be wise to ask the ECJ to prosecute the illegal hunters in the UK as well! I happen to condemn all illegal hunting, whether this is carried out in Malta, England or anywhere else in the world! Maybe, we should also ask the ECJ to prosecute the anti-hunting individual being interrogated regarding the merciless killing of an English hunter, the late Trevor Norse! And before pointing your finger at Malta and stating: "how grave the situation is", I urge you to inform yourself about the shameful situation in your country! In Malta we have a saying which goes: Tara traba f'ghajnejn haddiehor u ma tarax it-travu f'ghajnejk! Ask somebody to translate this for you, Sir!

Sylvana Zarb Darmanin

Sep 23rd 2009, 16:01

Mr Axel Hirschfeld, your colleague Mr David Conlin had stated:

"We must resist any policy of appeasement..";
"The EU Commission and the European Parliament must be lobbied time and again.."
"We must not relent in our activity until Malta ia a bird hunting-free zone."

Are the Maltese to consider your persistent Press Releases as a means of achieving the above?

Finally, Sir,maybe I will be lucky this time round and get an answer from you to my long outstanding question: Are CABS personnel 'clean' while roaming the countryside? Readers deserve such an assurance! BLM, CABS and Co have been shying away from this question. This is worrying indeed!

Joe Pimental

Sep 23rd 2009, 15:53

ALL THE MALTESE HUNTERS WHO HUNT ILLEGALLY AND THEIR HUNTERS' ASSOCIATION/S (IF SUCH ASSOCIATIONS DEFEND THE ILLEGAL HUNTERS) SHOULD BE TREATED AS CRIMINALS IN THE EYES OF THE LAW. I THINK WE SHOULD BAND TOGETHER AND ASK THE EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE TO INTERVENE AND PROSECUTE THESE GUYS TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW AND METE OUT THE PUNISHMENT THEY DESERVE.
Before anyone goes berserk on me, please take note that I have specifically said "those hunters who hunt illegally". Yes, I know I was yelling, just wanted to make sure that someone takes notice of how grave the situation is in Malta.
We as Europeans have to do something about it if the Maltese government does not have the will not the power to reignh in these "terrorists".
JP, Guildford, Surrey, UK

Raymond Sammut

Sep 23rd 2009, 15:26

@ Bird hunters, poachers and trappers of Malta & FKNK

I do not understand why these BirdLife people even bother. My expectation is that they will soon have to give up on mighty Malta, pack their gear, and emigrate for good. Then you can all come out once more with your shot-guns and contraptions, and keep doing what you had been doing all these many years to your heart's delight, without anyone ever finding out. In the meantime, Maltese parliamentarians can continue to sit on the fence and putting up a brave face with all those European leaders they keep rubbing shoulders with as if they had never known anything about it. Maltese parliamentarians, in my view, are the real culprits. The onus is on them and them alone.

Clayton Baldacchino

Sep 23rd 2009, 15:25

Great job for exposing all this to the public. This is a disgrace for our country. How can FKNK expect any credibility when all this is happening in a hunting reserve run by the same organisation. Is this the idea of zero tolerance?

Wilfred L Camilleri

Sep 23rd 2009, 15:15

It's pathetic reading M. Cardona's letter about the "mass grave". Is he accusing CABS of planting the dead birds there? Let's face it. The illegal hunting and trapping goes on because the perpetrators have no conscience and no morals. They are a bunch of ignorant and classless men. Enforcement is a joke and the fines and sanctions imposed on those found guilty are laughable. The government can stop this nonsense by changing the laws and imposing stiff and mandatory prison sentences on those who are found guilty of these atrocities.

David Borg Cardona

Sep 23rd 2009, 15:08

Maybe CABS in their dossier should also include the number of hunters they apprehended or reported to the ALE. All we hear is... illegalities here... illegalities there... a hunter shot this and that.. massacres.. blodbaths.. cemetries.. And yey NO ONE has been actually pinpointed by CABS not withstanding all the high tech equipment they have.

Franco Farrugia

Sep 23rd 2009, 15:03

And then, to crown it all, we have Mr Farrugia's open letter to the Police, full of innuendoes and messages between the lines. Shameful. A shameful association that's what I call it. What do you expect?

M. Cardona

Sep 23rd 2009, 14:59

"He said a dossier about what was found in Mizieb would be sent to FACE, the federation of European hunting associations, and the European Commission."

May he also kindly include in the dossier and inform the concerned that several thousand picnickers roam this site at each and every weekend and yet no one had ever noticed or discovered this "mass grave" previously and that it had to be CABS and buddies BLM to make this discovery?

Wilfrid Buttigieg

Sep 23rd 2009, 14:52

This is an insane situation. Shame on the authorities who are not providing the necessary resources to carry out effective enforcement.