Matthew Xuereb
Hunters, trappers claim psychological torture
Hunters and trappers said they were experiencing psychological torture while awaiting the government's decision on the opening of spring season, as recommended by the Ornis committee last month.
Government sources said a date had not yet been set but reiterated it would be communicated in the coming days.
Thousands of hunters and trappers and their families were facing psychological torture as they tensely awaited the decision, the hunters' federation, FKNK, said yesterday.
It said the hunters, trappers and their families were expecting Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi to apply a spring hunting derogation in terms of the EU Directive and within the parameters of the verdict of the European Court of Justice.
It added that, despite promises by the government that hunting would continue after EU membership, spring hunting was banned in 2008 and 2009 because of a case against Malta before the ECJ. Since then, hunters and trappers had suffered in silence, with tragic consequences in some cases.
The federation said the ECJ's final verdict of September 10, 2009, vindicated the hunters' arguments. Notwithstanding years of misleading propaganda by the anti-hunting lobby, Malta was free to use a spring hunting derogation as other member states did, it argued.
"After six months of consultation with the EU Commission, something he did not have to do, Dr Gonzi's hesitation in announcing the opening and closing dates of a limited hunting period creates unnecessary tension. This issue will not go away or be forgotten and the FKNK will ensure that," the federation said.
It continued: "Dr Gonzi is in duty bound to satisfy, without further delay, the legitimate expectations of Malta's hunters and trappers, which now carry the stamp of the EU's highest legal body."
Reacting to this, BirdLife Malta said that before any spring hunting decision was announced, the government had to publish the number of birds shot and trapped in 2008.
The carnet de chasse 2008 report was due for publication last year but repeated requests by BirdLife during Ornis meetings and directly to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority to make the records public were ignored. It added that no reply was forthcoming to its latest request on April 1.
It also drew attention to the fact that the European Commission had also not received the report.
BirdLife Malta executive director Tolga Temuge said: "We have always stated that the carnet de chasse is a gross underestimation of the true scale of hunting."
However, since the government based its defence at the ECJ on the figures hunters provided and since the government was planning to open another spring hunting season based on the previous years' figures, then it was crucial that the data was made public, he said.
Bird sightings from 2008 clearly showed that during the autumn migration, following the first spring hunting ban that year, the number of common quails that migrated over Malta was significantly higher than in spring.
"If this were revealed in the figures, it would crush the government's argument that autumn was not a satisfactory alternative to spring hunting," Mr Temuge said.
He said Malta still lost the case at the ECJ because the country did not meet other conditions needed for the derogation, adding that the government still decided to interpret the ECJ ruling as offering the opportunity to open another spring hunting season.
BirdLife said that regardless of the "alternative solution" condition for a derogation, both the turtle dove and common quail were listed as Species of Conservation Concern in Europe. Therefore, no derogation should be applied according to the European Commission's own hunting guide to the Birds Directive, it said.
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MARK MIFSUD BONNICI
Apr 8th 2010, 23:01
EDWARD CAMILLERI
THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS VERY SIMPLE.
FKNK have made a call for wardens that is open to the public. So far I do not see your name there.
So if your concern is genuine and you are not merely blabbering nonsense, you can do your share of reporting illegalities. It might also help you realize that after all, illegalities are not what you were made to believe, unless of course you belong to the group that thrives on inventing them.
It sickens me to see videos of illegalities taken by Birdlife, when as in the case of the last incidence on the Marsalforn road the person committing the illegality is allowed to carry on unhindered, all in the name of good publicity.
Do Birdlife want to stop illegalities or are they using illegalities to stop all hunting.
Saying that spring hunting is an excuse for illegal activity explains my point perfectly.
Johnny Xerri
Apr 8th 2010, 21:36
@ Edward Camilleri,
Game bags are used allover the EU (and elsewhere, practically worldwide), they will be managed in the same manner.
Does the word rampant only enter in your vacabulary when it concerns hunting?
Child abuse is rampant, how is it controlled?
Drug abuse is rampant, how is it controlled?
Tax fraud is rampant, how is it controlled?
Illegal imigration is rampant, how is it controlled?
By bans, on law abiding citizens???????? No police control abuse
I am aware of unfit parents having their children taken away from them to be offered a better life. But I have never heard of supurb partents having their children taken away from them.
I have heard of drug pushers attending parties being arrested, but I still have to hear of non drug users being arrested at parties.
I have heard of self employeed being fined for under declaring their tax returns, but I still have to hear of all self employeed being fined.
If illegal hunting is rampant then what are the police doing?
How can I be judged as a crinimal for actions that I did not do?
As ith all crime their is the law and the police to enforce.
j.cutajar
Apr 9th 2010, 12:19
You are only capable of comparing hunting to anything that is not controlled for the simple reason that it can't compare to anything that is controllable or good.
Nobody gives us a better confirmation that hunting is out of control & is only at par with the worst problems & issues..
Edward Camilleri
Apr 8th 2010, 19:29
@Lino Farrugia
And how do you propose the government is going to control how many birds are shot and which bird species?
Officials from FKNK & St. Huberbu have repeatedly stated in public that the Carnet de Chasse is useless as scientific evidence. And everyone knows how much hunting & trapping illegalities are rampant.
Sylvana Zarb Darmanin
Apr 8th 2010, 19:26
Ramon Casha, describing hunting as a "destructive vice" when you are pro-abortion is unbelievable!! Hypocrisy at its best!!!!!!!!
Franco Farrugia, Min jidhak l-ahhar jidhak l-ahjar!! Meanwhile, I also await your reply to Mr Johnny Xerri's long outstanding question! You should presently have a lot of free time on your hands, so what exactly is your problem for not answering?!
Ramon Casha
Apr 9th 2010, 04:24
I am not "pro-abortion", I am pro-choice, meaning that the choice should remain with the woman in question. In any case, since I (and many others) do not believe that life begins at conception, there is no hypocrisy involved.
Mark-Anthony Fenech
Apr 10th 2010, 11:29
erm so when does it start? A baby is alive when born?
I am against hunting but a spade is a spade.. You would have many people lobbying in favour of animal rights which is good but then are in favour of abortion, hiding behind the "pro-choice" banner..
J.Bonnici
Apr 8th 2010, 19:07
That's nothing compared to what the birds have to endure, dear hunters.
Johnny Xerri
Apr 8th 2010, 17:39
@ Franco Farrugia,
Be sure that the culprits were apprehended before pointing fingers!!
Sometimes criminals choose to use tactics that achieve their goal and mislead investigations.
If I had to find my car damaged with scratches of 'I hate hunting' on it, I cannot claim that an anti did it, if I didn't witness the incedent.
It could have been my neighbor who is fed up with me for some reason.
It could be an ex girlfriend cheesed up about something.
It could be that a dog after taking his liberty on my tire miraculously scratched the car while trying to see whats inside.
Maybe it could have been a sparrow or pigeon who was trying to remove the dirt he had done on my car and unintentionally formed the words.
Who knows?
What remains as fact, written down is that 'some' people openly stated that they do not need police or other recognised institution to settle the dispute. And 'some' people have upto date not commeneted on their declaration.
It is these people who need to be lectured in democracy and legal institutions and not be the ones who lecture to others.
Franco Farrugia
Apr 8th 2010, 17:08
@ Johnny Xerri: I have read the last part of your comment. By the way, the Hagar Qim attack as well as the attack at Torri l-Ahmar, suddenly come to mind. Now, I wonder why!
Johnny Xerri
Apr 8th 2010, 16:56
@ Franco Farrugia,
I can only smile when after all this time you still have not explained:
'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 recognized institution?
No wonder you smile at other peoples frustration because unlike yourself who openly claims to take the law into his own hands, hunters have not resorted to taking the law into our own hands. Even after having official democratic institutions sealing a referendum with a derogation which is not materialising. I am ashamed to be Maltese, the land of unlawful elections and referenda.
Dictatorship Malta, were electoral manifestos are only good as toilet paper.
Basta flimkien kollox possibli, ima flimkien possibli biss biex nisirqu l voti u naksu lil haddiehor u nihdu pjacir bid deni ta haddiehor.
Nies pagani, bla valuri democratici
mario nicholas pace
Apr 8th 2010, 16:16
What hypocrisy? Imagine the torture the thousands of birds feel when they are shot at and trapped whenever they fly over these islands.!Pls FKNK grow up and go find something else to do instead of killing defenceless birds.
MARK MIFSUD BONNICI
Apr 8th 2010, 16:13
Franco Farrugia
Are you referring to chickens, turkeys and capons?
C Bonello
Apr 8th 2010, 16:07
To everyone who commented negatively on how hunters and trappers may be feeling at the moment I would like to ask some questions. I'm not asking questions because I need answers from you all but so that probably you would ask yourself and hopefully answer yourself with honesty;
How would you feel if your hobby was being threatened?
How would you feel if you were being banned from doing things that interest you?
Examples;
What if you like fishing and you won't be permitted anymore?
What if village celebrations were banned outside the church and were celebrated without the outdoor marches and fire works?
What if fire-works were banned at all including fire-work competions?
What if football or other types of sport competions will not be permitted?
What if any type of concerts, theatre and artistic events were not allowed?
etc........ etc.......
HOW WOULD YOU FEEL?
No, I'm not forgetting the life of the bird, but I am realistic, knowing that animals are killed everyday for everyday meals.
Don't you ever have a steak at a restaurant enjoying a meal with your friends?
Don't you ever entertain yourself by having a barbeque eating meat that once was an alive animal?
Lino Farrugia - Secretary FKNK
Apr 8th 2010, 15:48
Reply 2 of 2
The FKNK has put in a lot of work to ensure the correct application of a derogation and avoid a showdown with the Commission. The FKNK proposals covering the derogation conditions are contained in four documents that can be viewed at http://www.livemalta.com/fknk/ .
The Federation of Hunting Associations in the EU (FACE), FACE Mediterranean Members (FACE MED) and St. Hubert Hunters Malta (KSU) contributed to the formulation of the these documents, which are based on data meticulously drawn up from recognized scientific sources. The hunting federation did not receive any objection/s to this final set of documents to date.
The FKNK documents address fully and unequivocally the main concerns raised by the judges of the Court of Justice of the European Communities. These are:
1) the length of the derogation period [reduced from 59 to a bare minimum of 21days];
2) the proportionality issue [ratios reduced by 50%];
3) the small numbers principle [calculated scientifically by the 1% mortality criterion];
4) the strict control condition [the EPD (Environment Protection Directorate) agrees that the proposed measures guarantee the required enforcement].
Lino Farrugia - Secretary FKNK
Apr 8th 2010, 15:45
Reply 1 of 2
Every registered hunter and trapper received letters containing official written declarations made by the government, guaranteeing the continuation of the traditional socio-cultural passion of spring hunting. This was done with the tacit blessing of the EU.
Malta's defence in the ECJ case was based on a study entitled "Hunting in Malta in Spring and Autumn - A Comprehensive Study" and other supporting documents, drawn up by the Federation for Hunting & Conservation Malta (FKNK). Against all the odds and against everyone’s expectations, Malta was not discriminated against, and the ECJ judged that, in principle, autumn hunting did not offer Malta’s hunters and trappers a satisfactory alternative to spring hunting.
Paul Caruana
Apr 8th 2010, 13:40
This claim is disturbing. While I actually do believe that, for them, not being able to go out and hunt down little birds from the sky is torture, it speaks very badly of the relationship these people have with nature, and their inability to enjoy the peaceful countryside without leaving a bloody mess wherever they go.
I don't know if this should qualify as psychological torture, but I would suggest they need psychological councelling!
Fabian Borg
Apr 8th 2010, 13:35
@ Katya Pisani
I tried posting this as a reply to your comment but my browser woulnt allow so here is your answer in as few words as possible.
Hunting is a way of life. When a hunter gets up every morning being open or close season our eye immediately goes to the sky to examine the weather and guess what the day might bring as to sightings. Hunting is not just about killing, it is much more than that. We train ourselves and our dogs to attract,stalk,flush and ultimately take a game bird. You seem to concentrate on the killing part as you are biased by others mentioning RAMBOS .Hunting also effects our purchases of all articles especually clothing and hunting gear. When sighting a bird in flight we always look twice to recognize it and determine its speed and range. This all comes to life during hunting when we have our legal open-season and our legal quarry which is no more alive than the meat you or your family consume regulary (unless youre a-veggie).
Your question will remain unanswered unless you give it a shot and try to go hunting with someone where you will start understanding something.
Andrew Gatt
Apr 8th 2010, 13:01
Kindly chew on this, Mr. Tolga Temuge.....chew long and chew hard, because the FACTS are pretty indigestible:
Bird Sightings - Source - BIRDLIFE MALTA'S WEBSITE
September 2008
Common Quail - 5 on 14th, influx on 27th - maximum 50+ (MLT, GOZ).
Turtle dove - simply listed as OTHER SPECIES recorded
October 2008
Common Quail 1 - 2 on 4th and 7th (MLT, GOZ).
Turtle dove - NO MENTION. ANYWHERE
This information was extracted from Birdlife Malta's own website. Some main migratory flyway we're on! Mega passage of quail! And millions of turtle doves! U halluna. All you lot do is misinform and lie, in the hope that guillible fools believe your nonsense and regurgitate it in public.
LIARS. Caught out AGAIN from your own website and by YOUR OWN figures. Tal-misthija.
MARK MIFSUD BONNICI
Apr 8th 2010, 12:56
"Bird sightings from 2008 clearly showed that during the autumn migration, following the first ever spring hunting ban that year, the number of common quails that migrated over Malta were significantly higher than in spring."
AND WHAT ABOUT THE QUAIL IN 2009 AND ALL THE YEARS BEFORE THAT?
Birdlife are trying to imply that should quails be plentiful in autumn then there is no need to derogate in Spring.
SO IS SPRING HUNTING NO LONGER ILLEGAL?
FOR BIRDLIFE'S INFORMATION MANY AREAS IN MALTA DO NOT GET ANY QUAIL IN AUTUMN, NOT EVEN IN THE MYTHICAL MIGRATION OF 2008.
THIS IS PRECISELY WHY THE COURT STATED: CLAUSE61 "Moreover, it is not disputed by the Commission that, during that period, only a restricted part of the territory of that Member State is visited by the two bird species in question and that they migrate mainly at the end of August and during September."
This explains why derogation is possible.
Birdlife should train their big mouth, that so easily spreads nonsense, to swallow what the ECJ confirmed and conceded to Malta.
They have definitely earned the scorn of any decent person. Keep it up.
Eric Gahn
Apr 8th 2010, 12:45
Bring on Torquemada.
Franco Farrugia
Apr 8th 2010, 12:42
I can only smile at this. And what about the torture inflicted on the birds?
Ramon Casha
Apr 8th 2010, 12:22
If FKNK is serious about this claim of psychological torture, it should start weaning hunters and trappers away from their destructive vice and towards a new hobby.
Anthony Formosa
Apr 8th 2010, 16:20
Mr Casha, what is with you? Your previous comments in other articles shows clearly that you are a pro abortion and you are calling us destructive, are you serious? what is more destructive than killing a human being, what is your hidden agenda?
Collen Isherwood
Apr 8th 2010, 11:14
The "killing season" has already started at Delimara, and St Thomas Bay, early this morning, lots of shoots were heard, and persons creeping about the fields and trees, who needs an alarm clock
Mark Debono
Apr 8th 2010, 12:00
I used to employ 3 trappers in the property restoration business,apart from the fact that they couldn't read or write their own names they were like brothers to me, the only thing that bothered me was they'd turn up to work with these tiny cages containing birds & place them on the roof, rain or shine,strangely enough come October & April they would all seem to get sick at the same time ,little did it bother them that i was having to pay late completion penalty fines.We found out later that they were all out trapping while registering for work. And there i was telling myself ''imsieken''
Anthony Formosa
Apr 8th 2010, 13:20
@ Mark Debono, very nice story, I also hired a property restorer and guess what after paying a huge amount of money everything was falling down to pieces after the first winter. Miskin jien because I had to pay again for the incompetence of such so called restorers.
lgalea
Apr 8th 2010, 13:46
Collen Isherwood you can always go and live in Valletta.
They do not hunt there.
Perhaps you will even start enjoying the pigeons droppings.
Sylvana Zarb Darmanin
Apr 8th 2010, 19:09
Mark Debono, are you saying that you were employing "Registering Persons"?!!! That is ILLEGAL! And if you write in this manner about persons who you consider "like brothers", God forbid me from ever crossing your path Mark Debono!!
peter fitzgerald
Apr 8th 2010, 10:41
psychological torture not being allowed to blast poor innocent birds out of the sky
psychological torture is trying not to be sick from hearing such a statement
lgalea
Apr 8th 2010, 10:08
2.
The clothes were paraded at a leather fair in Paris.
The jewel of the EU project was the cookbook "Säl Hylje Sel," named after the three words for "seal" in Swedish, Finnish and Norwegian, respectively, including recipies from 12 renowned chefs to create a "modern, trendy seal cuisine."
Recipies in the book include "seal Wellington," a version of the famous "beef Wellington" dish: a tender seal fillet coated with pate and mushroom duxelles, wrapped in puff pastry and baked.
For the more globalised palette, the chefs suggest a simple seal wok with jasmine rice and sweet and sour sauce.
"I think we have a reasonable approach to seal hunting: we want to make use of the animals we kill. Otherwise it is a complete waste of a good resource," Ake Granstrom, the project manager behind the book, told Euobserver.
In an additional irony, "Säl Hylje Sel" will now be translated be a Canadian publisher into French and English to be distributed in Canada.......
HYPOCRISY? THE EU IS THE CAPITAL OF HYPOCRISY. HYPOCRATS.
lgalea
Apr 8th 2010, 10:08
How's this for HYPOCRISY?
http://euobserver.com/9/29803
Nordic hunters say EU seal ban wastes resources
As Canadian anger over the recent EU seal product ban grows, potentially putting an EU-Canada trade pact in danger, Swedish, Finnish and Norwegian hunters who legally cull seal but have to bury or burn the cadavers consider the ban to be a waste of a good resource.
Between the years 2000 and 2007, coastal regions in the three Nordic states received money from Brussels to come up with new techniques to make use of the seal carcasses which are culled every year in order to protect the local fishing industry.
The project, named "Seal: A common resource," received over €300,000 from the EU Interreg Programme (for inter-regional co-operation), and included, among other things, workshops on how to treat seal skin after culling and DVDs on hunting techniques.
Manuals on seal skin use for clothing, bags and furniture were printed and colleges in Finland and Sweden introduced seal skin design into their student curricula.
Students from the Finnish region of Ostrobothnia even created the collection "SEALS - Sensational Exclusive Accessories Luxurious Seductive," featuring garments made of seal fur mixed with silk and crystals.
Anthony Formosa
Apr 8th 2010, 09:59
FKNK is correct, there's a huge tense among us, this is all unnecessary when hunters and trappers were assured that hunting and trapping would be better if we join the EU, so why all this now? This year I'm expecting the worse attack from birdlife against hunting.
MARK MIFSUD BONNICI
Apr 8th 2010, 09:55
BirdlifeMalta
"no derogation should be applied according to the European Commission's own hunting guide to the Birds Directive"
Page 5 of the hunting guide http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/conservation/wildbirds/hunting/docs/hunting_guide_en.pdf states:
Limits of the guide
The guide is intended to be bound by and faithful to the text of the Directive and the
wider principles underpinning Community environmental law. It is not legislative in
character (not making new rules but providing guidance on the application of those
that exist). As such this document reflects only the views of the Commission services
and is not of a binding nature.
It should be stressed that it rests with the EU Court of Justice to provide definitive
interpretation of a Directive. Therefore, the guidance provided will need to evolve
in line with any emerging jurisprudence on this subject.
It recognises that the management of hunting is the responsibility of the Member
States, including their role in determine hunting seasons within their territory in
accordance with the requirements of the Directive.
CAN BIRDLIFE EVER BE HONEST. ONE HAS YET TO SEE SUCH VILE MISINTERPRETATION OF FACT.
IS THIS WHAT THEY INTENDED WHEN AGREEING TO RESPECT THE COURT JUDGEMENT
katya pisani
Apr 8th 2010, 09:48
I ask all the hunters.. Why do you enjoy killing birds so much??? Because to me it is a mystery. Whats so fun about it?? I hope someone anwers me
Anthony Formosa
Apr 8th 2010, 12:33
Perhaps my answer will not suffice your imagination, hunting is not just shooting at birds, I use to be lucky to bag 8 doves and 6 quails per season, but these were the most enjoyable times of the year. You can address your same question to a fisherman with a rod, and he will answer the same, probably it would be cheaper for him to buy the fish rather than trying to catch it. However there are many mysteries which I also don't understand and don't see any fun at all, but today they are accepted because we are called modern civilized.