BirdLife presents shot birds and petition to Prime Minister

Henry Fenech Azzopardi

Mar 25th 2010, 09:34

This was what I call a farcical demonstration of force to make pressure on the government and confuse the people with two different arguments.

Had Birdlife asked me to sign the petition I would have been more than willing to join in with the rest of the 120,000 signatures. I presume so would the rest of the law abiding hunters.

It is a fact that we all want illegal hunting to stop. There is a consensus on this but Birdlife are now mixing the opening of Spring Hunting with the illegal hunting. This is the way Birdlife works. It was never an issue with the European Court of Justice. but still they create a sensation to create a public support on one issue of illegal hunting and translate it to the issue of Spring Hunting.

The general public is used to these tactics and the signatures collected could be doubled. Who should be in favour of illegal killing?

Come on Birdlife play fair because you are losing your credibility by the seconds.

This is farcical and not the ORNIS meeting. The ORNIS delivered what was expected of them after the ECJ judgement. The government has to deliver what is expected.

D. Farrugia

Mar 25th 2010, 00:51

"...a petition signed by about 122,000 people from around the world calling for the spring hunting season not to be reopened".

Wow that's a staggering 0.0000179% of the global population!!

BLM, you can do better than that! Spend y(our) EU money by campaigning to improve the legal system!!!! Seek ways to:

1. put pressure on the Authorities to amend/introduce wildlife crime laws and regulations;
2. watch the series "animal precinct" on animal planet;
3. educate the ones that hand down stupid sentences and accompanying laughable fines (minor fines are in fact an incentive for shooting of protected birds, NOT a deterrent);
4. lobby in favour of harsh sentences;
5. work with FKNK, not against it, in finding the right balance between bird protection and LEGAL hunting;
6. understand that shooting of protected birds can only be controlled through points 1 to 5 above.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to come up with such suggestions. Why do you tackle bird conservation from the wrong end of the stick??? Will you consider my suggestions for the sake of these majestic creatures and other protected birds???

D. Farrugia

Mar 25th 2010, 00:11

It would have made more sense if BLM brought rehabilitated birds to be released during the protest as a symbolic gesture rather than exposing injured birds. Stress kicks in and the bird dies, claiming that it had to be euthanised due to extensive injuries, when it could have been properly rehabilitated and released. Don't take me wrong, shooting/killing protected birds (or any other protected species for that matter) is one of the things I hate most. But would you take an injured dog to a protest to voice your concern about road kills?? So why take an injured bird? These birds need a quiet place for rehabilitation to take its course. Not dragged along a protest. True, these birds should not have been shot in the first place but for crying out loud do we have to make these creatures suffer even more??? Handling, and exposure in public, IS cruel. This really puts into the shadows BLM's conservation claims. Seems the sky is their limit. Another one of Tolga's infamous 'secret weapons' exposed, perhaps??

r sammut

Mar 24th 2010, 21:25

There you have it the odd dozen out of 122000 signatories, parading shameless with injured birds in front of Auberge de Castille in Valletta! If word got around of the treatment meted out to the convalescent wild birds, would the same 122000 signatories from the world’s birding community approve?

The law falls like a ton of bricks on lay persons caught in possession of such protected birds, let alone parade them around Valletta! Well BirdLife not only wants to dictate to government but are also above such law!

Have we got used to this same song by BLM?!? Every time a season opening nears! Be it Spring, Summer (for rabbits) or even the Autumn ones. They yearn to eradicate hunting completely. On the other hand poachers have no closed season. The fact remains that they proliferate in closed seasons.

stefan micallef

Mar 24th 2010, 21:18

if i would be hunting and find an injured protected bird while hunting i would surly not pick it and go away because i would get fined couse im a hunter.......

lawrence Camilleri

Mar 24th 2010, 20:28

Sure those birds shouldnt be in their hands! Why are they there? cause some hunter blasted them of the sky during his sport practice.

To all pro hunting: portraying the extent of illegalhunting seems to hurt the feelings of many hunters over here... But that is the truth, BLM or no BLM everyone knows that a largebird in our countryside is a doomed bird....

Sylvana Zarb Darmanin

Mar 24th 2010, 19:00

R Curmi, you just did not get the argument or you are conveniently trying not to! Poaching is condemned because it is an illegal activity. SIMILARLY, PARADING IN THE STREETS with a protected bird is illegal! Nobody is above the law and ALL THOSE BREAKING THE LAW should be punished. One cannot be selective!

Johnny Xerri

Mar 24th 2010, 18:31

@ Franco Farrugia,

Before commenting on hunting (or any other issue) please respond to a comment you wrote not so long ago:

'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.'

How would you have taught the warden a lesson in good manners?

Is it normal that a person settles his dues without the need of the police and the union, or other recongnised institution?

When such extrimist comments are posted, I really get worried, because they exposed how the antis have no limits.

I mean BLM consistently have birds to show and parade.
They also consistenly oppose that bird trappers are issue licences to ring birds.
Could it be that some of the birds caught in their mist nets and up having a foto shot rather than a ring? I hope I am wrong.

I have requested on several occassions through timesonline for BLM to publish their audited accounts, with the financial notes showing their wages.

I question does their silence imply that they are ashamed to publish their figures, afraid that people see them for what they are?

MARK MIFSUD BONNICI

Mar 24th 2010, 18:15

R Curmi
It's one thing tending to a wounded bird, in fact it should be any one's priority to do so, even though some might run the risk of being arrested. But carrying injured birds in boxes and exhibiting them around Valletta, immaterial of whether this is causing pain to the birds concerned is as criminal as whoever shot them.

in order to gain publicity Birdlife have lost their sense of decency. Is it not enough to splash pictures all over the media for viewers worldwide.

Just give me a good reason why a poacher should be arrested for shooting a protected bird whilst a Birdlife activist can hold a bird suffering from broken bones and gunshot injuries, walk through Valletta, parade past police outside our prime ministers office and not get arrested?

I am totally against Bird Crime but consider similar cheap publicity stunts at the expense of injured birds to be equally criminal.

If I were to find an injured bird and walk through Valletta, stopping for a few photos on Castille, being Mark Mifsud Bonnici the hunter, I would suffer the indignity of arrest, a house search and much more. Get the point?

Mario Farrugia

Mar 24th 2010, 17:40

A straight question to the Commissioner of Police: Will action be taken against the person shown in this photo (and on film too) for being in possession of and handling a protected bird of prey?
Yes or no, please.
If in the affirmative, then well done. BLM members ought to realise that they are not above the law.
If in the negative, then please let us know why.
Thank you.

r curmi

Mar 24th 2010, 17:17

I just cant understand the fuss being made by hunters about the 3 birds. Granted poachers should be hunted down and arrested. Granted those 3 birds should never have been paraded in valletta and granted shame on you birdlife for doing so.

But some hunters here are claiming that such a bird shouldnt be touched by anyone. What are you guys talking about really? So I find a wounded raptor which in itself is very wrong and despicable and according to you I should just go away without trying to save it? Are you out of your minds?
It is one thing wounding such beautiful creature but its another trying to help it when it cant defend itself. So please hunters find another argument. Deplore the poaching, call shame on teh parading but stop the nonsense of NOT helping wounded animals like some suggested as it doesnt look good on you for OBVOUIS REASONS

Sylvana Zarb Darmanin

Mar 24th 2010, 17:08

Parading in Valletta in possession of a protected bird is illegal. I expect the Police to take the necessary action. It is their duty!

As I have been commenting for a long time, BLM and Co will do anything in their power to try to convince the Maltese Government from opening the Spring Hunting Season. Tolga Temuge, Andre Raine, Joe Mangion and Co is your love of birds truly your agenda. Do not think so! If it were, you would never have allowed such cruelty to the 3 birds in question. The priority would have been to have these birds taken good care of by a vet.

Tolga Temuge, readers still await your reply to the question put to you regarding the ECJ ruling and which you conveniently evaded from replying!

Joe Azzopardi

Mar 24th 2010, 16:24

Keep up the good work BLM. Stop Illegal Hunting NOW !!

Anthony Formosa

Mar 24th 2010, 16:11

Every illegality must be condemned without reserves, but this is another pre spring hunting season cheap stunt by BLM. I ask everyone, since when we go in front of the PM office to stop illegal drugs, dumping, building, fireworks, etc etc??, why BLM did not consulted the police commissioner on how to curb such illegalities? or our police are not competent enough?

BLM are using these handful of illegalities in an attempt to disrupt the process and hard work of FKNK to open spring hunting. The 122,000 signatures from European countries should be addressed to the same Europeans to stop the (il) legal abortion in their own country, I expect that we Maltese should also collect signatures against abortion in EU countries which are also part of the natural heritage.

Mr Mangion is keeping on repeating the same buzz word of Maltese majority, EU common heritage, but always fail to prove it. 120,000 indeed are not the majority, even if they were just Maltese.

@ Morana Axisa, Did you know that more than 4000 derogations are applied by the EU member states? and Malta will only apply ONE.

John Matthews

Mar 24th 2010, 16:00

I AGREE 100%. STOP ""ILLEGAL""" HUNTING.

Whose talking about ILLEGAL hunting (see T Shirts). Illegal hunting is ILLEGAL full stop.

All Birdlife should do is abide by the decision of ECJ as they "ficticiously" promised to do.

122.000 from around the word signed the petition, not that many is it? Did BLM tell the world about their broken promises and inflated figures, that has been provento be false, in their quest? I'll bet not.

lgalea

Mar 24th 2010, 14:22

2008 BIRDLIFE MALTA ASSOCIATION*BLM Malta (MSD 12 TA XBIEX) €157.897,00 Subject of grant or contract:CHANGING CULTURAL ATTITUDES TO TRAPPING IN ORDER TO FACILITATE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BIRDS DIRECTIVE

THHERE'S MONEY TO BE MADE IN THE PROCESS.

N Xuereb

Mar 24th 2010, 13:17

The issue of Illegal Hunting and Spring Hunting are a different subject and the number of signatures is insignificant. In the Times on-line poll earlier this year, those who agreed with opening of the limited Spring hunting for Turtle Dove and Quail where around 35%, that's 140,000 of the Maltese population. Those 122,000 who signed this petition are only 2% of the EU population.

joseph lia

Mar 24th 2010, 13:15

@ Morana axisa, please check properly EU law and its diverse Derogations before you comment , BLM are simply creating stumbling blocks . Poaching will be rampant simply because there is NO open season, poachers will have a field day without a proper legal hunting season! Poachers DO NOT operate where there is control as is being proposed by FKNK.
If those protected wild raptors were in the hands of hunters, for example, ALL HELL would break loose!!! Birdlife activists or not NO ONE, according to Maltese Law may carry, touch or be in possession of protected wild raptors, period. More evidence than the printed photos.....
Alas some morons keep persisting in poaching locally, I will personally report such wrong doing immediately and I am not a hunter. Indeed our interests lie in the local sphere but Malta is no worse off when it comes to poaching on a global scale. So STOP harming Malta's name internationally, one can see the scale of poaching....3 injured raptors and about 7 others!!!! Such calamity!!!

MARK MIFSUD BONNICI

Mar 24th 2010, 11:50

It is a criminal offence to shoot at any protected species of bird. It is also an offence to handle or be in possession of any such species. the maximum penalty for such an offence is a fine of 16,000 euro or a 2 year jail term.

WHAT DOES ONE TERM, PARADING IN VALLETTA WITH THREE INJURED BIRDS BY MEMBERS OF BIRDLIFE MALTA?

If hunters had to stage a similar protest against illegal Bird Crime and enter Valletta with injured protected birds they would undoubtedly be arrested and fined.

THE LAW IS AIMED AT PROTECTING SOME BIRD SPECIES. SINCE WHEN DOES THE LAW DISTINGUISH BETWEEN PARADING PROTECTED BIRDS IN VALLETTA AND THE ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF SUCH SPECIES ELSEWHERE.

CLEARLY USING INJURED BIRDS FOR PUBLICITY PURPOSES IS A CRIMINAL ACT THAT DESERVES TO BE TREATED LIKE ANY OTHER ACT OF BIRD CRIME.

Are Birdlife Malta above the law?

Morana Axisa

Mar 24th 2010, 10:53

Laws are laws. We wanted to be part of the EU. Now we are, therefore we should abide by its rules. Its as simple as that.

Joe Camilleri

Mar 24th 2010, 10:43

Imagine if that wounded harrier was in the hads of somebody else, all hell would break loose. So are BLM above the law???

Shame on them to carry injured birds and subjecting them to useless stress. That is bad as poaching.