Hunters' own medicine

Johnny Xerri

Mar 17th 2010, 18:14

What can be expected from extremist?

They believe that Maltese hunters should not only be inferior in their own country and property, but now should also be ashamed to hunt abroad.

So now foreign hunters can hunt in their homeland, but we Maltese hunters should not only be banned from hunting in Malta, but also in countries in which hunting is allowed.

This coming from a person who seems to believe that he is above the law!! This is what Franco Farrugia commented on another post:

'If I had been the LSA, I would not need MUT's condemnation and the Police to investigate. I would have taught that warden a lesson in good manners, myself.'

Can Mr Franco Farrugia elaborate how he would have taught the Warden a lesson in good manners?

Now let me guess, a copy for 200 lines, 'I must not fight with an LSA, in the school playgrounds'. naa, that would consume too much paper.

This is the type of intolerance hunters face from people who only value their opinion and believe that they are above the law.

Such extremists should bow their heads in shame - if they have any decency left in them!

John Matthews

Mar 14th 2010, 19:38

@ Maria Williams

You have made an assumption that I know nothing about Malta. I have probably forgotten more about Malta than you have ever learnt. With regard to trapping it appears that you know very little about it. Suggest you read some of the past issues of TOM, in particular the letters sent in by trappers. The point I made to Mr C Garnett is that the birds are TRAPPED come what may.

Sylvana Zarb Darmanin

Mar 14th 2010, 15:53

J Cutajar, "except their own guilt & shame." Were you referring to foreigners who try to tarnish our dear Malta's image when they have worse situations in their own country?

Sure enough, everybody has a right to write letters / comment HOWEVER readers have a right to be presented with factual and respectful arguments!

Franco Farrugia

Mar 14th 2010, 12:32

People writing and boasting that they go abroad to hunt, should bow their heads in shame - if they have any decency left in them! They should go abroad to watch and admire these animals in their natural habitat - not killing them!

J.Cutajar

Mar 14th 2010, 11:41

Hunters & non hunters worldwide have every opportunity to write letters revealing their individual pleasures & joys of killing animals purely for fun or because bird killing is second nature to them ,....nobody is stopping them from writing & sharing these wonderful feelings except their own guilt & shame.

lgalea

Mar 13th 2010, 21:39

Ever read about fox hunting in your country Colin?
I believe that an English proverb says that people in glass houses should not throw stones Colin

Maria Williams

Mar 13th 2010, 21:00

@Mr John Matthews
The difference between birds trapped by RSPB/Birdlife for bird ringing and local trappers is that after ringing ,the birds are set free, unlike the local situation where trapped birds are carried around like trophies in disgustingly small cages being condemned to spend the rest of their life in captivity. Stating that there is no difference either shows that you are not familiar with the situation in Malta or are not representing the true facts.

However, although I do not agree with your point of view in supporting hunting/trapping, I do support your right to express your opinion, even if you are a British citizen writing about a country which is not his own. I also feel that Mr Garnett should have the same rights.

Please take care and stay safe from the hunters in Oswestry!

salvu abela

Mar 13th 2010, 18:53

@ Colin W.Garnett,
Sir in these days of internet everyone can see what happens in other countries like yours and mine,so please before you start calling and compering people with Neanderthals here take a good look at these web-sites,

http://www.countrysports.co.uk/photos/lotspigeon.jpg
http://www.countrysports.co.uk/photos/ferretrabbits.jpg
http://www.countrysports.co.uk/photos/evansgroup.jpg
http://www.countrysports.co.uk/photos/rough-6.jpg
http://www.ukoutfitters.co.uk/england.htm
http://www.huntinguk.com/index.php/game-shooting.html

That`s only a few there plenty more to see on the internet and yet Sir you only piont your finger at tiny Malta.

Andrew Gatt

Mar 13th 2010, 18:50

Sure, Franco, sure. Just as much as the notion of respecting the rights and beliefs of a subatantial minority is alien to you. It's always me me me me me and never any objectivity or compromise.

Funny how similar comments such as yours are. Full of extremism, intransigence, insults and whatnot. As always. they say more about you than anything else. Boringly predictable.

Franco Farrugia

Mar 13th 2010, 18:26

For some people, the idea / notion of 'one world - one village' as well as the principle of subsidiarity, are far too much for them to handle and understand, because they care only about themselves (not even for the future of their country and their children!), their political party that they blindly follow, and their so-called pastime!

Philip Galea

Mar 13th 2010, 18:21

Dear Mr.Garnett
I wonder if you ever wrote such a letter against hunters in your local daily. I am sure you would have had a wonderful response from the various gamekeepers in that area. We come there from Malta to shoot and spend thousands of pounds in your area. and this can be done 365 days a year.

k. francica

Mar 13th 2010, 18:16

I have very fond memories of Shropshire - Mr Garnett's home town, I went shooting a couple of times there, no one complained of our Neanderthals sterling, not even in spring.

Thank you Dr. Michael Falzon.

Sylvana Zarb Darmanin

Mar 13th 2010, 18:01

A Farrugia, the pro-hunting lobby presents FACTUAL arguments as opposed to the many non-factual ones written by the anti's. It is not me who says this but the ECJ itself has exposed their untruths. As for your doubts regarding the murder of a hunter, by the name of Trevor Morse, God bless his soul, there is a very simple solution. Just look it up on the internet. Having a British citizen pointing a finger at us when such shameful acts occur in his country is arrogance at its best!

A Farrugia, it is not my intention to "shut up any foriegner from expressing an opinion." Likewise, nobody will shut me up from exposing disgusting and shameful acts in any foreigner's backyard! However, I expect foreigners to be factual and respectful in their arguments!

Farrugia A

Mar 13th 2010, 17:20

@Ms. Zarb Darmanin

Your problem is that you and your friends think you are always in the right, no humbleness whatsoever. What has this man got to do with any murder that happened in the UK (if the case is true after all). It's like attributing any recent murder to the local hunting community.

This man is an EU citizen (like I said in another point I wrote which did not get published) and therefore has every right to pass a point about the local disgusting practices of hunting and trapping, as much I have a right to criticise what happens with bull fighting in spain. No Spaniard worth 2 Euro cents will shut me up - just as much as Zarb Darmanin will shut up any foriegner from expressing an opinion.

Edward Camilleri

Mar 13th 2010, 16:49

This action by Dr. Falzon does not auger well to the Labour Party & its supporters. This is a repeat of pre 1996 election, when labour promised hunters to reverse previously established hunting rules. Everyone knows what happened with such government.

Winning votes with such short sighted tactics is similar to the current Prime Minister's promise to restructure MEPA & protect ODZ. It is just a joke, and jokes are short lived in politics! Please be responsible and keep trapping a thing of the past. It is childish to trap birds and try to 'enjoy' them by keeping in small cages. Everyone can truly enjoy birds freely in the wild.

Arguments based on the fact that other EU countries may also be trapping & hunting birds are just as childish. If other countries are doing wrong, we do not want to do likewise.

A.Sacco

Mar 13th 2010, 16:02

@ A.Damato: Yooo-Hooo! It's time to wake up and climb out of your cocoon! It's the year 2010.

Claire Busuttil

Mar 13th 2010, 15:48

@ Mr.Garret, you are right, and I agree with you 100%.......the probem is that here in Malta,politicians, only target is the Vote they will get from the trappers(in this case)......

John Matthews

Mar 13th 2010, 15:16

@ C Garnett
I am a British citizen and last week was in Shropshire, Oswestry to be exact. On the way home via Shrewsbury and Bridgenorth, I happened to see men with guns walking along a freshly ploughed field. Although I could not stop and measure the distance involved I would say that it was only about 100 yards from the main road (Bridgenorth to Kidderminster). I do not profess to know the legal distances permissable to shoot from field to road but I would be worried if those concerned shot my way.

HOWEVER

This article applies to trapping so I ask you the question, how does organisations like RSPB trap the birds for wringing purposes?????????? Please don't say that this is for scientific knowledge because the birds are still trapped come what may. So what's the difference between RSPB, Birdlife Malta and the trappers carying out the same thing. I await your reply with interest.

Sylvana Zarb Darmanin

Mar 13th 2010, 15:06

Colin W Garnett, you seem to astonish yourself too easily! Quite surrprising, coming from a British citizen where hunting takes place throughout the year with many species being hunted, including ones which are protected in Malta. Could it be that in the UK you have not yet reached the 21st century? Aren't you ashamed that your country hosts millions of "Neanderthals"?! - Your description NOT mine as I happen to respect law-abiding hunters coming from whichever country.

Well, Sir, it appears that in your country action has already been taken to "even out the oddsj ust a little". I remind you of an English anti-hunting lobbyist who is being questioned about the murder of a co-citizen - A HUNTER! This is shameful indeed! Have a look in your backyard and leave our dear Malta alone!

Another contributor who is being used as a loop in BLM's chain in the run-up to the opening of the Spring Hunting Season!

J.Cutajar

Mar 13th 2010, 14:24

Some wise hunting quotes from Mr Damato
>>‘’It's better that you worry about the disgusting level of wildlife crime that is taking place in YOUR country ‘’
Do you mean it bothers you that foreigners know about the disgusting level of wildlife crime that is taking place in OUR country ‘’??

>> ‘’mind your own country's business and stop interfereing in our internal affairs!!! ‘’
>> The maltese trappers will again be equal to their european counterparts !! ((i.e the ones that interfere in our affairs & have a disgusting level of wildlife crime))

So you want to be equal to your European counterparts (( the ones that should mind their own business & that have a disgusting level of wildlife crime ))????‘
>> ''So please stop this pathetic and arrogant moan of yours''
((Ii.e we don't like hearing the truth))

C Cassar

Mar 13th 2010, 13:39

The fact that another country does or does not engage in cruel sports is not an excuse for Malta to follow suit. Why can't Malta just for once actually lead the way to a more civilised soceity where inflicting harm puposefully on living animals is banished?

I suggest that all hunters/trappers trade in their equpment for a set of professonal binoculars because you will really be amzed at what you are missing.

martin pisani

Mar 13th 2010, 13:11

Colin, im not even sink to ur level and call u mister cause u dont deserve it.

1. keep ur nose out.
2. why call us neanderthals?
3. sort out ur own problems 1st then pass comments.
4. think carefully before you answer.....why can u trap birds in cages in the UK but we cant????? like i said, be careful, dont get caught out now!!!!!!

M.Pisani

Andrew Gatt

Mar 13th 2010, 12:56

Here you are Colin......from MY perspective:

"I was surprised, indeed astonished, to read that yet another sanctimonious Brit, Colin Garnett, has scribbled a finger-pointing letter to The Times about issues in a country he has nothing to do with.

My heart bleeds for the suffering of this ex-colonial, unable any more to dictate, to exploit and to impose his will on indigenous peoples all over the world. However, it bleeds even more for the barbaric crimes, gangs, knifings, child abuses, paedophiles and murders that regularly take place in the UK. We are in the 21st century after all!

Perhaps if Mr Garrett, himself were to be hounded, hassled and insulted left right and centre, even for a week or two, he would sing a different tune.

While we are on this distressing subject, wouldn't it be a jolly, super three-bags-full wheeze if we were able to train some of the exploited fuzzy-wuzzies to get their own back on the Neanderthal yobs and lager louts that persist in taking the "Great" out of Great Britain?"

Mind your own business please.

MARK MIFSUD BONNICI

Mar 13th 2010, 10:48

C.GARNETT

Do you intend training birds to shoot back in the UK? Since there happen to be more of what you term as "Neanderthals" in you own country.

The fact that you do not recognize this and direct your hatred towards the Maltese hunter makes your knowledge of fact pre Neanderthal, in which case I believe humans were still referred to as APES.

Indeed we are in the 21st. century, but being in such times seems to make some fools act irrationally about the trapping of birds whilst such fools unquestioanblty accept the sucking out of foetuses from their mother's womb.

In Malta we are blessed with getting our priorities right and also we are known to discard perfect garbage to where it belongs.

A.Damato

Mar 13th 2010, 10:38

cont/.....Rest assured that in the near future this tradition will be legalized again within the eu bird's directive derogation parameters and the maltese trappers will again be equal to their european counterparts !!

A.Damato

Mar 13th 2010, 10:35

@ Colin Garnett

Can you please mind your own country's business and stop interfereing in our internal affairs!!!

It's better that you worry about the disgusting level of wildlife crime that is taking place in your country such as the ever increasing persecution of strictly protected birds of prey which are being poisoned and also the serious biodiversity loss that the UK is experiencing due to human intervention.

Do you know that your country applies more than 1,000 derogations from the EU birds directive???? do you know that your country allows the shooting of certain bird and animal species ALL YEAR ROUND?????? including the breeding season???????

So please stop this pathetic and arrogant moan of yours. If you like it or not, finch trapping is a very strong and popular socio cultural tradition in our islands and it has been unjustly and deceitfully (momentarily) banned by a spinless government who is terrorized to stand up for it's rights before the EU, the same rights that are embedded in the EU's own laws as is the case of finch trapping.cont/....

Franco Farrugia

Mar 13th 2010, 10:24

I would like to add my name on top of this letter! Wow!