Minister sees no need for Wildlife Crime Unit - ALE reinforced

D. Farrugia

May 4th 2010, 20:29

I agree with an earlier comment that the issue of curbing wildlife crime (in its broadest sense) does not solely revolve around beefing up the police force, but more significantly empowering those that hand down sentences through legal deterrents. As things stand fines are just a joke. In an ideal world, both should have long been beefed up. It is no use having a 500-fold increase in police force when current laws serve more of an impetus to continue illegalities rather than deterrents. Refusing to address this critical issue is bad news for both the hunters' representatives and Birdlife Malta, who for once managed to agree on such an important topic of curbing wildlife-related crimes. If politicians continue to day dream about wildlife conservation, with such false pretensions that current resources and state of affairs are optimal or adequate, then I'm afraid wildlife conservation will continue to be unduly sunk very low in the priorities agenda. What does the Minister responsible for the environment has to say about this? This is definitely bad news for protected species, for the genuine hunters and for Birdlife Malta alike. Shame on you Dr. Mifsud Bonnici.

G Sammut

May 4th 2010, 20:17

Can anyone tell me why I am still hearing gunshots?????? Mornings and afternoons!!! And then certain people deny illegal hunting! What proof more does the government need?

r sammut

May 4th 2010, 15:16

The police presence roaming the countryside at the present is something to behold. If such intensive deployments of the police are used to fight other forms of crime their successes rate certainly would be more manifest!

Allegations of poor police effectiveness against wildlife crime have nothing to do with their abilities or limited presence! The fact remains that wildlife crime is far less rife than what any CABS or BLM insinuate!

Josef Borg

May 4th 2010, 14:41

25 Officers - 10,000 hunters , 390 sq KM of area to cover???? Is this enough dear Minister? Why don't you say the truth .... that nearly half of the police force are hunters themselves and they feel bad to report / arrest their fellow friends..... Change the law ... allow hunting every day of the year and with no limits... so at least nobody breaks the law because that is what is happening every single day.

MARK MIFSUD BONNICI

May 4th 2010, 13:59

Chris Finch
I am glad to read you agree with what hunters have been saying all along but obviously you are too blinded to realize and now even call them stupid.

Hunters offered to supplement the ALE through fees collected from hunting licenses, suggested the setting up of a wildlife crime unit, revamping the hunting license procedures and many other improvements aimed at curbing abuse.

You are right to say that Government has done nothing to comply with these improvements. On the contrary it schemed ways of restricting hunters even further.

So if you feel happy with the situation you know who to vote for next time round, no less the 16,000 hunters, their families and supporters know what to do with their vote.

You might be surprised to see the effect of over 32,000 votes in a local election. Then you might realize who was being stupid, Government or the hunters?

I Cassar

May 4th 2010, 13:00

Although it said to say so, the Home Affairs Minister is absolutely right. It is useless setting up another unit within the police force if it is going to be as useless and incompetent as the current one.

That 99 police officers are not able to apprehend any of the perpetrators of multiple environment related crimes in a place the size of Malta is ridiculous.

H Wolf

May 4th 2010, 12:47

More police will not do anything until there are viable penalties in place for anyone caught poaching.

If you are caught poaching, I think a first offense should entail confiscation of all shotguns for a period of 5 years, revocation of hunting license for 5 years, ban from buying shotguns or other hunting items for 5 years, and a monetary fine in line with the crime committed (something in the lines of €10,000 to go into the coffers of the ALE). The person should be required to wear a GPS tracker for the period of the sentence and prohibited from going near hunting sites (unless the person is a farmer and must go to their fields to work). If a second offense is commited, that person should receive the above except for a lifetime and a minmum 1 year jail term.

Responsible hunting should be allowed. Poaching should not be tolerated, by either side.

Joe Borg

May 4th 2010, 12:46

@ G.Debono

You forgot to include that the 24 officers are entitled to have holidays and sick leave and that once or twice a week they have to be in court to give evidence on the person they arrign.

What does that leave us with, that's right, an ALE that is overworked and can never cope with the work load.

Jamie Tanti

May 4th 2010, 12:45

well, to be expected, wildlife don't have the vote

lmercieca

May 4th 2010, 12:24

Was the s "Gozo ALE" re inforced too? It is high time that Gozo gets its own ALE section and does not rely solely on district police with a single 4x4 recycled after being used for years in Malta, and that of course is coming to bits now....

Chris Finch

May 4th 2010, 12:10

Can you not see what the government is doing? By not doing anything, and opening the season for a third of the registered hunters only, it knew there would be unrest and rampant illegalities this spring. Exactly what it wanted.
The EC will therefore impose sanctions and claim that Malta cannot even have a limited season because after all, one of the conditions was that any season was controlled and regulated.
The Government will then be able to turn around and say - it is not our choice, we have to do what we were told, therefore redirecting the blame.
The hunters were too stupid to realise this and all they did was stamp their feet and cry 'foul' when in fact what they should have been doing was making sure their members were following the law.
The scenes of violent attacks, vandalism, racist graffiti and shooting illegalities over the recent weeks will only serve against them in the long run. Remember, intimidation might work on a local level, but those in brussels will not care a fig for these antics.

l farrugia

May 4th 2010, 12:08

Il-Ministru Carm Mifsud Bonnici meta qal li hemm 24 ufficjal jahdem fl-ALE ma qalx li dawn irridu jaghmlu hafna xoghol ieħor li ma ghandux x'jaqsam mal-wildlife Crime. Ta min jghid ukoll li dawn l-ufficjali jahdmu f'shift allura barra fil-kampanja ma ikolox aktar min 8 barra. Hemm ukoll dawk li jkun l-ufficju. Jekk b' 24 pulizija tista tlaħħaq ma Malta kollha f'hin differenti tal-gurnal hija cajta kbira min-naha tal-Ministru ghax kif jaf kulħadd dawn ma jistawx jikkaverjaw il-gzira kollha li fiha ikun hemm eluf ta kaccaturi. Inutli li matul il-gighma tal-istagun izzid l-ufficjali ghax l-illegalita issir anki barra mill-istagun. Ghandhom ragun jigu in-nies minn barra biex jghinu lil pulizija maltija. Hemm bzonn li niehdu l-affariniet bis-serjeta ħalli il-poplu jkun jista igawdi l-ftit kampanja li baqa wara li hafna minnha nghata għal bini.

G.Debono

May 4th 2010, 11:55

24 officers only (excluding the temporary man power)? Not impressive.

I am sure the 24 do not work all one time. What shifts are they working on. Is it a 24/7 operation thereby giving 8 officers at any one time.

If that is the case what can 8 officers cover? 3 north of malta, 2 central and 3 south ? Surely that is not adequate and does not cover Gozo.

How equipped are they - do they share one or two cars between them? How much time is spent in the office rather than on the beat. Are they under cover or with uniforms shouting out - go away, the law is around.

Mr Minister - no wonder the hunters are happy doing their thing - with 24 officers spread over 25/7 + office + equipment, I'm half tempted to buy a a trabokk coming autumn and hunt for robins.