Updated: Shot car was being used by BirdLife volunteers

Joe Fenech

Apr 21st 2010, 23:34

Being on you own land doesn't mean you can break the law!

S. Vella

Apr 20th 2010, 23:05

Allow me a simple query to S.Vella below:

Are the boundaries to your private land comprehensively and clearly marked? Have you fenced or walled your property? If not, how do you expect me to know when I have trespassed on your land?

Mark Galea

Apr 20th 2010, 12:54

Breaking News - FKNK instructed hunters to strike for the duration of the hunting season - Breaking News

mf vincenti

Apr 20th 2010, 12:21

Such actions is not only erradicating protected birds & destroying life for their grandchildren to enjoy, but such behaviour is damaging precious TOURISM to our islands. These episodes make top international news - and not the kind we need nor want. Todays tourist chooses his destination wisely, based on the country's commitment to the protection & sustainability of the environment, including wildlife, etc. Today's tourist is emotionally driven when making his final choice. He would rather spend his $$$$ to visit a country that takes issues of protected species seriously, uses alternative energy resources to lessen damage caused by tourism to the environment etc. Today's tourist is no longer only interested in sun/sea/cost. He wants to feel he has helped a worthy cause & feels encouraged to spend his $$. He leaves feeling good, talks to others & is more likely to return - in our case, we're digging our own grave here. The irresponsible attitude of those who are never brought to justice, is contributing to the downfall of every citizen in Malta who has invested heavily in promoting our islands, for all to benefit from.

marthese mussett

Apr 20th 2010, 11:51

@J.Cutrajar.Prosit,ghax veru tirraguna.Kellhom bzonn kolhadd jahsbuha bhali...u bhalek.Anka dawk it TLETT ELEF sigra li tkissru ,matul il lejl u l herba li hallew warajhom....xi ftit snin ilu...insejtuha?Allajbierek dawk wahedhom inkisru hux...nahseb persuna wahda...

S Vella

Apr 20th 2010, 10:33

@ Fabian Borg
Jien poggejt dak il-link biex infakkar x'kienu wieghdu l-politikanti dak iz-zmien BIL-MIKTUB!!
Jien minix nghid li l-kaccaturi kollha belaw is-sunnara,izda min belaha ma ghandux tort sa barra ghax meta jkollok dawk il-garanzijji min ghand min suppost kien affidabbli u kredibbli
ghandek tafdah...izda hemm wiehed jara kemm ghandna politikanti qarrieqa u disonesti, u ghalhekk kull minn qieghed jitfa l-gebel lejn il-kaccaturi tajjeb jara l-istampa kollha u jiggudika fuq il-fatti mhux ipecclaq bl-addocc.

S Vella

Apr 20th 2010, 10:28

@r curmi
I am not mentally disturbed and i am licenced to hold a shotgun! If you followed the issue all along we had psychiatrist and professional people talking about the subject and what hunters and their families are going through, so dont try to be funny! we had four suicides...
@ Chris Finch
Provocation could be done in any way, for example with certain writings on bloggs such as the ones here. Yes the hunting season is closed but we are not imposed from going out in our private property and I am sure you know that most of the hunters own their private land. when intruders dare to enter private property that is provocation, especially if the people trying to enter privately owned land are people who are not licenced such as police and come there because all they care about is to try and find hunters, not to watch birds, even if the hunter is not practising his hobby. I still do not approve violent reactions, and if you read my comment that is how I started, but I wonder how you would react if I come in your house provoking you.

J.Camilleri

Apr 20th 2010, 09:51

Useless blabbing. This all started because the hunters were simply mislead by the truth to join the EU. Pity to all those who are deeply disappointed didn't read between the lines before voting yes. Now there is no turning back unless we are kicked out from the EU due to some hefty penalties ...

eric mamo

Apr 20th 2010, 05:46

When we were allowed to hunt we knew not go to Mtahleb ,Manikata , Qrendi and other remote hilltops and hope to hunt undisturbed even if we owned land there. You need to be accepted by the locals and complex social mores apply. you may be surrounded by armed men who will intercept all the birds flying your way before they get in range. Hilltop people are only marginally integrated. they have their own rules and barely suffer central government. Cabs welcome to the reality, not all Malta is civilised or ever will be. Read Ernle Bradford`s the Mediterrenean. Your campaign has ruined the most popular pastime twice over , Hunting and trapping, but it will never civilize the hillbillies cos that is the way the cookie or windscreen crumbles.I just hope no one gets seriously hurt though being hassled by camera toting bullies popping over the skyline every time a shot goes off even in autumn on legitimate game is irritating enough without having a lifetime hobby rendered illegal and placing the hillbilies in direct conflict with the civilisation they have ignored for thousands of years is more than they will suffer.

r sammut

Apr 20th 2010, 00:08

Why point fingers at ALL hunters, because of this incident? And then jumping the gun about it being hunter related, when no one is even being accused let alone convicted!

Similar to the other incident of filming a rare bird being shot! As coincidence would have it, bird watchers happened to be at the spot to see both bird and approaching poacher. As demonstrated on video and in dialog of bird watchers filming; they had all the time of the world to either shoo the bird off or call the police. Their perverse pleasure was to catch the blurred vision of an individual shooting. Paving the way to blame all and sundry!

Charles Gauci

Apr 19th 2010, 20:29

@Joe Camilleri
Sure everybody could own a gun (at least I suppose so) but not everybody would shoot at a car used by BirdLife volunteers who were monitoring bird migration and illegal hunting!

martin saliba

Apr 19th 2010, 20:18

How the heck do these people know that hunters shot the car ? It could have been anyone , hunters and non hunters. The police have some real investigations to do

Johnny Xerri

Apr 19th 2010, 18:42

I start off with condemning violence, and if caught the criminal should get what he deserves according to the law.

However, where is the proof?

So if my car gets vandalised I can claim it was an Anti?

Ironically someone did vandalise my car and stole part of the contents, so because I am a hunter I can claim it was an anti? Right?

And don’t mention that if a shotgun was used then it was a hunter, because by the same reason I may be suspected for every rape in the country because I have the same 'thingy' that a rapist has and uses. Or maybe the next time a person gets run over I will be suspect number one because I also own a car.

Are you 100% sure that no shotgun, for whatever reason (collection, sporting clays, self defense inside his own house,....) is not registered by any anti?

Are you 100% sure that the car was vandalised because of hunting and no other unrelated reason? Who knows maybe the owner (not the renter) had some financial dues or unsettled issue with a third party.

Just let the police investigate and reach their own conclusion.

Anthony Formosa

Apr 19th 2010, 18:16

Many hunting hides in Mizieb were vandalised in the last few days. Who is to blame?

Sylvana Zarb Darmanin

Apr 19th 2010, 17:40

As I have invariably done, I condemn this illegality! However, all those who have condemned ALL hunters, it is reported here that the police have given no details, therefore how have they concluded it is A hunter? If they are eventually proved right, does this ONE hunter means ALL hunters acted illegally?! In that case, all of us are criminals, rapists, drug-pushers, etc.

Paul Barrett, "The only people upset by the presence of CABS are the poachers". NO SIR, I AM ALSO UPSET AND WORRIED BY THEIR PRESENCE! Notwithstanding that I have repeatedly asked for assurances that they are "clean" while roaming the countryside, nobody has todate given this assurance. I ASSURE YOU I HAVE REASON TO WORRY!!!

Finally, to all those trying to rub salt into the wound of the many law-abiding hunters: you should be ashamed of yourselves!

John Matthews

Apr 19th 2010, 16:58

@ J Oatman @ others

Wouldn't you lot be surprised if the person who did this vile act, turn out NOT to belong to any hunting group.
Obviously the law has changed in Malta since I lived there.

Now its GUILTY UNTIL PROVED INNOCENT.

Joe Camilleri

Apr 19th 2010, 16:14

The police should question some of the bloggers below since these bloggers seem to already know that they were hunters who shot at the car.

Everybody could own a gun.......

S Vella

Apr 19th 2010, 15:20

I start by condemning violence were ever it comes from! But I also condemn provocation.
We have been quite and trying to find a solution around a table for over two years now, we even have the ECJ sentence which gave us the right to hunt in spring with certain conditions, but to all Maltese hunters not 2500 for 6 half days to add insult to Injury!
To all those pointing their fingers at the psicologically disturbed and betrayed hunters I suggest they take a look at this guarantee and then comment after....
http://kaccaturi.com/eddie.html
So who is actually the guilty one?

J.Agius

Apr 19th 2010, 14:27

I am the first to condem these acts but for god sake stop irritating the hunters.It goes to Government birdlife cabs(who should see what is bad in their country first) & all you bloggers who have nothing to do but stir up the pot.
J.Agius

j.cutajar

Apr 19th 2010, 14:10

Ever since hunters needed to cover up their embarrassment by going into full blown sulking mode, they haven’t stopped bragging about their glorious unification. Let’s see them all run to this guy’s defense now. No wait, it must be Birdlife that shot at the car and the picture is a fake to tarnish our beloved law abiding hunters. Maybe there’s a bird called Hyundai. Now there’s another one for your Brussels curriculum vitae. The name & shame policy must stand at about 11,000 by now
Since hunters claim to be so united then you should all unite in sharing the blame equally. (United you stand united you fall).

Jason Borg

Apr 19th 2010, 14:04

And the FKNK has the cheek to demand the opening of the hunting season. Judging from the number of shots heard since Saturday, it seems many hunters are taking the lawe into their own hands.

Fabian Borg

Apr 19th 2010, 14:03

Acts of Violence and damage to other peoples property is not acceptable anywhere anytime. Whoever performed this act seems to have made great damage to the car and its owner who are certainly not BLM (who got their headlines) but the Car Hire Service. Also the one`s actually forking out the money will be the insurance companies who insure the car. So who is the end loser ? The image of a shot car in mid april and used by BLM members, you guessed right , Hunters!!
This seems the same story where two years back we heard of broken windshields with a girl posing for the photo, torn tyres, burnt vehicles in buskett but the argument was always that it could have been anyone. So now to ensure to damage public opinion, a shotgun was used. May the criminal be caught as he/she broke many laws like carrying/using a loaded gun in/close to public roads, endangering public safety, causing damage to other peoples property.
But never the less one person pulled the trigger. Nobody can point fingers. I hope you all agree.

r curmi

Apr 19th 2010, 13:57

And finally we all are seeing how reasonable some of the hunters and friends are. All they are are just vandals and now the hunter apologists wanna come feed us the usual crap that they have reformed. Reformed my foot. Abolish hunting thats what they deserve. They will either get what they want or destroy and beat, of course when in numbers and armed but never 1 vs 1.

C.Borg

Apr 19th 2010, 13:50

I am a hunter and proud to be. Yes I condemn any violence and any illegal act against any one.

These are bullies, and I can say that some hunters even hurt other hunters on purpose, for example when they throw nails on the ground, or you find your new hired hiding place in pieces just on the first day of hunting.

I can say these because I know these things, but also I can say that these closed mind individuals that call them selves hunters are only 1 to 2 % max from all the hunters. So why all the hunters have to be blamed..... Why???

We want, what is ours, what was promised .......

Carmen V Gauci

Apr 19th 2010, 13:48

So where are those hunters who write against BLM. Don't you have anything to say about your fellow hunters this time round ?? My first message was not posted I hope this message comes across. Just for the record these CAB people didn't beat themselves up and no, BLM members didn't shoot at the CABS car either. Shame on you cowards !!

Joseph Micallef

Apr 19th 2010, 13:09

Now let's seem how many hunters will be condemning this with their comments!

john camilleri

Apr 19th 2010, 12:35

It seems that those who shot at the car shot their foot once again.

Instead of putting their arguments in a civilised manner they opted for violence. If they are hunters, that is assumed they are, shows how right the authorities are in controlling hunting.

The people who did this are a bunch of idiots.

Are FKNK going to condemn the incident?

j.cutajar

Apr 19th 2010, 12:19

A bird must have slammed into the rear window & triggered off a shotgun that was kept in the luggage compartment.

adrian aquilina

Apr 19th 2010, 12:10

yet more good reasons to ban hunting..they are just to stupid to do things in the right way..i expect a few arrests very soon..shooting at a car,threatening people with sticks,beating up a man...and no it does not happen in other civilised countries..unaceptable and must be stopped

William P Flynn

Apr 19th 2010, 11:32

Well, Hyundai means a beautifully feathered bird in Korean. So perhaps the hunters thought, close enough and let loose. Oops!

carmelo aquilina

Apr 19th 2010, 10:16

Will the hunting bodies and the usual crowd of apolgists for bird shooters please condemn these acts of aggression by poachers without qualification before someone gets seriously hurt or killed ?

Thomas Degiorgio

Apr 19th 2010, 09:49

when is the 1 week spring hunting supposed to occur?

J Oatmon

Apr 19th 2010, 09:49

The public can see from this incident, that there are definitely criminal elements amongst the bird killers, who will disregard any law which they dislike.
Any thought of self regulation by the bird killers, is obviously never going to work with these 'stop at nothing' criminal elements virtually able to do as they please, because of poor enforcement.

Paul Barrett

Apr 19th 2010, 09:29

1. I think it is extremely unlikely that the German based CABS people would even dream of painting swastikas on walls in Malta (or elsewhere). The only people upset by the presence of CABS are the poachers (Note: I said poachers, not the law abiding Hunters).

2. On the more light hearted side, perhaps hire cars should be added to the "most endangered" list.

G. Grech

Apr 19th 2010, 09:15

in the whereabouts of the old airport area in Luqa, gunshots are being heard "as usual".

G.pisani

Apr 19th 2010, 09:15

While our police were all protecting the pope, our citizens who actually care about Malta were being beaten. Hope these idiots get caught.

Timmy Farrugia

Apr 19th 2010, 09:09

dont these hunters realise that through these actions they are not getting any sympathy from anyone!!!???? i am sure most hunters do not do these things. it is the few that ruin the reputation of the whole lot. the rest of the hunters should dissassociate themselves from the troublemakers

JOHN O SCERRI

Apr 19th 2010, 08:56

These acts of shame and cowardice only show that whoever did them is not capable of reason but only capable of using force and destruction.

I dont know how it feels to be one of them , that is having................... All Body and No Brain !!