Foreign birdwatchers step up security
Birdwatchers of the Committee Against Bird Slaughter will be out in the Maltese countryside next month accompanied by hired security guards and with video cameras fixed to their vehicles.
In a statement announcing its arrival on September 10, CABS president Heinz Schwarze said this was being done to deter potential attacks and prevent the escalation of violence. Last April, when the birdwatchers were monitoring the limited spring hunting season, they came under ambush from five masked men who threw stones at them, on another occasion had a vehicle rear window shattered by a shotgun blast and one of them, an Italian, was knocked to the ground in a third incident.
Spokesman Axel Hirschfeld said that throughout their stay, the conservationists would be monitoring bird migration and roosts using digital cameras and spotting scopes.
Others will also be looking into whether the afternoon hunting ban imposed by the government from September 15 to 30 is complied with, while some will be posing as tourists to identify and report illegal trapping installations.
“All offences will be rigorously documented and the material turned over to the police for use as evidence in prosecutions,” Mr Hirschfeld said.
He insisted that Cabs was only concerned with curbing illegal bird shooting and trapping, and claims that it was seeking a total ban on hunting in Malta were “absolutely false”.
Birdwatchers for the seventh such visit will be arriving from Bulgaria, Germany, Italy, Sweden and the UK.
Cabs is an international charit-able organisation based in Bonn, Germany. Its focus is bird protection and conservation in Europe.
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l fenech
Sep 1st 2010, 09:19
Possibbli ma nixtghawx nghamlu maltin fuq il-maltin, hemm bzonn li dejjem jindahlu il barranin.
Sylvana Zarb Darmanin
Sep 1st 2010, 08:39
Edward Camilleri and J Borg, I refer you to my comment on this same topic of 30th August 2010, namely: The many law-abiding hunters are not bothered per se with CABS because they have nothing to hide. However, having foreigners spying on you, trespassing onto your private property and intimidating them (as Mr Johnny Xerri explained) is not acceptable at all!
I have persistently been asking whether CABS officials are armed while roaming the countryside. BLM, David Conlin, Axel Hirschfeld and others have all refrained from giving an assurance! Since, I have my founded doubts about this, I urge Dr Lawrence Gonzi to ensure that these CABS personnel are clean while roaming the countryside. Now we will be having security guards as well. Will these be armed?!! Who will be taking responsibility if, God forbids, anything happens during a confrontation? Prevention is better than cure!!
Your trying to tarnish the reputation of the many Maltese law-abiding hunters is therefore disgraceful and non-factual!
J. Borg
Aug 31st 2010, 20:52
CABS are doing what the Police and FKNK were never capable or never really wanted to do!
No wonder they receive such treatment from hunters.....
Johnny Xerri
Aug 31st 2010, 23:29
I invite you to read my reply to Robert Callus, then you will know why they receive such treatment.
Edward Camilleri
Aug 31st 2010, 20:30
Those protesting below and on other blogs against the CABS visit further confirm how rampant illegal hunting is! CABS only record illegal activity, therefore to be afraid of them is like admitting that you and your friends do this activity!
to the public there is no difference between CABS & ALE/police. The only difference is to hunters, when the police are coming to a hunting area, then most hunters are advised before hand - unlike when CABS are coming with their cameras! That's why you do not protest against ALE or police!!
I urge the honest hunters, if any remain, to let CABS do their jobs. If you are honest then even you will benefit from a CABS visit, because they are helping to eradicat illegal hunting. Unless ofcourse you are one of those poachers.
Johnny Xerri
Sep 1st 2010, 07:47
Please read my reply to Robert Callus. Then you will know why even as a law abiding hunter (actualy citizen since my conduct has not been tainted for any reason, not just hunting) I do not approve the way these people operate.
They are not here to put their foot down on illegal hunting, but to 'try' and disturb any form of hunting
M. Cardona
Sep 1st 2010, 10:54
Sur Camilleri,
"to the public there is no difference between CABS & ALE/police"
Do rest assured that there is a distinct difference between CABS and the police. The latter (police) are state empowered and paid by our taxes to ensure observance of the laws and enforce them when necessary. And this in objective observance of local laws and regulations.
CABS on the other hand are "a charitable organisation" which means they live off misconceptions and the entailed funding. BUT the main differences in my opinion are that they have
1. No legal authority to enforce the law
and most importantly
2. They do not seek to defend what is legal but rather change what is legal (irrespective of your perceptions on hunting) into an illegal practice and thus purely subjective to personal perceptions.
Thereby it naturally follows that what they do is NOT "their job". They remain simply "vigilantes" conducting a crusade (devoid of any objectivity whatsoever) where the end justifies their means!
As to honesty..... are you a CABS member? Did you campaign to eradicate "illegal hunting" only? CABS do not "only record illegal activity", they seek recognition and follow on funded holidays+ free sunbathing!
Kemm tinsa fejn trid!
Sylvana Zarb Darmanin
Aug 31st 2010, 18:59
Paul Bonello, should you need proof that "SPRING HUNTING is legal and accepted by the European Commission" I suggest you have a look at The Sunday Times issue of 31st January 2010 wherein a Commission official was quoted as saying: "We can confirm that spring hunting is still possible in Malta following the court's judgement as long as it respects the ECJ's decision"! This is documented, Sir! M.A. Vella, sweet dreams! Hunting is here to stay! Your extremism will get you nowhere.
Robert Callus
Aug 31st 2010, 17:59
Why does anything involving foreigners has to turn into a National Pride issue? These people are doing us a good service. We didn't manage to control these criminals (not only illegal hunting but also vandalism, violence and bribery) on our own. They are giving us a helping hand. These are not vigilantes. They haven't manhandled the criminals or forced them physically not to hunt. Just film the illegality. Then it's up to the police. What's wrong with that?
Johnny Xerri
Aug 31st 2010, 19:55
If they keep their distance & do not provoke I would not be bothered. But they do not come to monitor migration and illegalities. They also come to hinder legal hunters.
I have a hide under a ridge that is perfectly legal. It is not in a reserve, it is the stipulated distance from the road and everything is in order. Most of my fields happen to fall in the no hunting zone becuase either they are close to the road, or else they are in a bird sanctuary. So I have no option but to hunt from this hide.
What do cabs do? They stay on the road right above me and turtle doves simply deviate in the last 50 meters (just outside my reach). I stopped for a chat, and asked them if they had any problem with legal hunting and the way I was hunting (since I never break the law). They claimed that they were not bothered with legal hunters and that I was as clean as can be. So I gently asked them if they could move around 50meters to any side and not stay above my hide
Cont...
Johnny Xerri
Aug 31st 2010, 19:56
I explained to them that they would have the same view as this was a ridge, and that it would not effect them. It would however, mean a lot to me as they were giving away my legal game.
Their reply was 'of course we could' then they started laughing and said 'but we will not'
Then I told them you just said that you are not against legal hunting and you take pleasure in disturbing me?
Their reply was 'you can hunt, we are on the ridge and not in your field, our disturbance is not intended'
So they were taking pleasure in disturbing me, fully aware that if I gave in to the provokation and entered MY OTHER FIELDS I would be filmed for entering a bird sanctuary (because the bird sanctuary happens to be on MY LAND.
Why didn't they move and film from above the bird sanctaury?
Why did they have to disturb me, when they themselves state that they are not against legal hunting?
Its because they hope and what to be attacked so that they shed more bad light on hunters.
Anthony Formosa
Aug 31st 2010, 17:40
Another quote from a writer.
On the island, all forms of songbird trapping have been criminal offenses since 1974. By the mid-nineties, as many as ten million songbirds a year were being killed in Cyprus. To meet the restaurant demand, traditional lime-stick trapping had been augmented by large-scale netting operations, and the Cypriot government, which was trying to clean up its act and win membership in the European Union, cracked down hard on the netters. By 2006, the annual take had fallen to around a million. In the past few years, however, with Cyprus now a member of the E.U., the number of active trapping sites is rising. Tells about an altercation between CABS staff and local residents. Writer travels to Malta, the most savagely bird-hostile place in Europe. The Maltese shoot bee-eaters, hoopoes, golden orioles, shearwaters, storks, and herons. Maltese hunters, who argue that the country is too small to make a meaningful dent in European bird populations, fiercely resent what they see as foreign interference in their “tradition.” Writer travels with Tolga Telmuge, a former Greenpeace director who campaigns against illegal hunting in Malta
So Who use Limestick????? Malta or Cyprus.
Good Publicity by CABS and Toga Temuge.
MARK CHETCUTI
Aug 31st 2010, 17:03
XI DRITT GHANDOM DAN NIES JIGU GO PAJJIZNA JISPIJAWNA MHUR GHAMILHA F PAJJIZHOM????????
Jason Borg
Sep 1st 2010, 09:12
Tinsiex li qeghdin nghixu f'Malta u mhux fil-Korea ta' Fuq jew Myanmar. Kull pajjiz civilizzat jaccetta dawn l-affarijiet ghax jifforma parti minn komunita' internazzjonali u ghandu responsabilitajiet internazzjonali.
Anthony Formosa
Aug 31st 2010, 16:25
A quote from a regular visitor to Malta.
The Birds Directive does not ban all hunting of wild birds (given the pressures on wild birds across the planet it should in my opinion, but that’s another matter), but it does ban illegal hunting and trapping. And the killing that BirdLife Malta wants to get stopped is just that - ILLEGAL.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that hunting groups all across Europe watch what happens in Malta. The more Malta gets away with, the more emboldened these groups feel. If the EU actually - finally - comes down hard on Malta’s illegal hunting community the impact will be felt all across Europe. Millions of birds might eventually be able to migrate through southern Europe without being blasted into pieces, caught on limesticks, or crushed under stone-traps by the some of the region’s most unlikeable constituents. Conservationists working for groups like BirdLife Malta might - finally - start to feel safe going about their lawful business, doing the hard work that all us birders benefit from every time we go into the field.
blasted into pieces, caught on limesticks, or crushed under stone. THESE ARE THE IMPRESSIONS THEY WANT TO SEND.
Andrew Gatt
Aug 31st 2010, 14:15
Ok...caps lock on...WHO ARE CABS TRYING TO FOOL? SEE BELOW - AND FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC'S INFORMATION DAVID CONLIN IS CABS' OPERATIONS DIRECTOR.
Nothing but hypocrisy and lies. The link is below...till they change it like their website!
http://www.petitiononline.com/malta06/petition.html
"Ultimately we demand that the EU Commission and the European Parliament take positive steps to officially observe, record and act on the excesses by Maltese hunters and the apathy, inaction or plain ineffectiveness of the Maltese authorities, and not relent in your aims and activity until Malta is a bird hunting-free zone."
The Enforce EU law to stop bird slaughter on Malta Petition to EU Commissioner for the Environment was created by Proact International and written by David J A Conlin (david.conlin@gmail.com). This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.
r sammut
Aug 31st 2010, 15:45
Oh dear, dear, they took the hassle to edit the wording on their website but this petition... slipped them completely, up to now that is!!! Getting a bit forgetful in their dire state of hypocrisy!
Josephine Bugejja
Aug 31st 2010, 13:55
Why foreigners what a cheek, why not our own people, whats the matter aren't we capable and do we always have to step down as second class citizens.
manuel borg
Aug 31st 2010, 15:28
yes we do! we, people in this country are so stupid that we need foreigners to sort us out!
M.A.Vella
Aug 31st 2010, 12:53
Frankly if Cabs and the EU want to impose a total ban, a referendum should be set up so we get rid of hunters and hunting since the vast majority of this population doesn't want it.
Say what you will, do what you must but in the end..... the majority will get their saying in a vote and we won't have anymore illegall nor legal hunting. Then we can start to enjoy wildlife and the country side without worries that our chirldren will be in danger.
Needless to say a total ban in Malta would incur alot of violence against nature like we experienced already in mellieha several times, these will last for not more than two decades until the hunting generation will be either too old or gone and the current one will be better educated to enjoy a bird ALIVE in its habitat not stuffed in a display!
Great job CABS, keep it up and never let go!
manuel borg
Aug 31st 2010, 15:36
Great words! You can say it better - current generation has to die out and better educated people must arrive...
thanks! thanks a lot!
Johnny Xerri
Aug 31st 2010, 15:43
I would gladly go such a route and have a referendum. If and only if we get a retake of the EU referendum in which we voted for the EU with hunting included.
How extremist can one be? How banal can one be?
International law would not allow any government to ban hunting since this is practiced all over the world, EU-27 included, so unless hunting is banned allover the EU that would be supression of minority group.
I checked my facts right by questioning this through the proper legal channels. Did you check and get advice over you extremist comment? Why do you think that CABS have changed their tune and are now saying that they are not against legal hunting?
Most probably they have checked their position and being aware that they might by legally consequences for incitment and persecution of a minority group, they changed their tune!!
Carmelo Briffa
Aug 31st 2010, 17:19
Dwar ir referendum naqbel100% imma biss jekk Malta ghandiex tiqba fl' EU.
Ghax mhux il kaccaturi biss gew imqarqa b'weghdi (GIDBIET) kitbiet dwar id-dhul ta'Malta fl'EU. Lill-poplu wrewh il-hmara u qabbzuh id-debba.
Karmnu.
r sammut
Aug 31st 2010, 17:31
@ M.A. Vella
Oh sure why not put hunting to the vote, and then why not other things not safe for ‘your’ children as well? The one thing most abhorred and which scares the life out of most parents are drugs. No amount of petitioning would eliminate that!
Have you ever considered why so many young people fall prey to drugs? One reason is that certain youngsters do not pertain to a meaningful hobby to occupy themselves. Hunting is much safer and healthier than you care to believe! It had had and still have a crucial part in the life of many a young person to steer off drugs and other possible vices!
By eliminate hunting you are just widening the opportunities to enter the vicious circle.
Henry Fenech Azzopardi
Aug 31st 2010, 11:32
Il Malti jghid "IL VERITA TWEGGA".
It is ample clear that Birdlife are after the total abolition of hunting in Malta. This has been proved over and over again with their way of arguments at all levels.
They are against SPRING HUNTING because of breeding and illegal hunting. They also exposed prominent Maltese pesonell wearing T SHIRTS, showing ILLEGAL SPRING HUNTING. ALL THIS DECEITFUL PROPAGANDA WAS DOWNSHOT BY THE EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE.
We had an unacceptable Spring Hunting and Malta was not taken to court and no fines were imposed. It is now established that SPRING HUNTING is legal and accepted by the European Commission but not by Bird Life Malta.
We now have the CABS so what is the point of the afternoon ban? If Birdlife wants a closed Spring season because of illegal hunting it is obvious that it would welcome a closed autumn season for the same purpose.
Birdlife are not consistent in their claims and proof of this is that they would prefer a dead dove/quail than being trapped for breeding. This is another fact documented that Birdlife should be ashamed to call themselves in favour of protection of birds.
IL VERITA TWEGGA.
Paul Debono
Aug 31st 2010, 12:45
It is now established that SPRING HUNTING is legal and accepted by the European Commission - where exactly did the EU commission say this? Please provide proof.
At most the Hunters can have a limited season as experienced last April. The free for all Spring Hunting is over for ever.
Franco Farrugia
Aug 31st 2010, 11:00
Welcome to Malta, CABS.
Johnny Xerri
Aug 31st 2010, 13:02
Shall we welcome the CABS members and teach a lesson to the warden. By not answering to how you wpuld have thought a lesson to the warden, you simple confirm that in you perfectionist and extrimist nature you want discipline and correction forced on others but not on yourself.
How extrimist and boastful can one be.
In the meantime, after having called us troglodites, neolitic people and what not, I still await that you provide a list or if that is too hard a single country that has banned hunting.
(before you make a fool of yourself Comino is a region)
David Bonello
Aug 31st 2010, 14:57
Mr Farrugia you are the same person who's comments always welcomes illegal immigrants and foreign CABS. May i ask if you're Maltese? We Maltese in the majority are fed up to our noses, with foreign interference. Hunting is here to stay no matter what !!!!
Tony Caruana
Aug 31st 2010, 10:58
Cabs is an international charit-able organisation
IT MEANS THEY PAY NO TAXES.
T Camilleri
Aug 31st 2010, 10:48
If the Gonzi governmetn had any sort of decency it would kick out these foreigners and prohibit them from entering Malta, but Gonzi doesn't have the gut and is simply obsequious to foreigners.
Johnny Xerri
Aug 31st 2010, 10:16
cont...
Hunters have been betrayed by the govt. not only during spring season but also during the autumn season, since the afternoon ban is not an EU or ornis commitee requiremnt but a govt decision. This coming from a govt that not only promised spring hunting, but also claimed that autumn hunting could only improve!!!
Now CABS come to monitor if the afternoon ban is being respected!!! Who is exacty seeing that legal hunters are punished, and who is adding fuel to fire. If anything they should see that illegal hunting does not take place & not if legal hunters hunting turtle doves and quail are staying indoors after 3pm.
This 3pm issue is simply another restriction on legal hunters since everybody knows that in autumn unlike in spring turtle doves & quail migrate during the day and not at night.
During autumn In Maltese we say 'gew erba gemmiem (jew summien) mal hin' (meaning a few turtle doves and quail arrived during the day)
During spring we say 'Kien hawn erba gemmiem ta bil lejl' or 'poggew erba summiem, u tajartom mas sebh' (meaning that they migrated at night & we found them at dawn)
Johnny Xerri
Aug 31st 2010, 10:14
How can we believe CABS are only against illegal hunting?
This is what was on their website a few hours ago,( http://www.komitee.de/en/index.php?malta ):
"CABS is firmly committed to putting an end to the killing and trapping of migrant birds on Malta"
Now changed to:
"CABS is firmly committed to putting an end to the illegal killing and trapping of migrant birds on Malta"
They just inserted the ILLEGAL a few hours ago.
Which version shall we believe, since both came from their website?
Did they suddenly have a change of heart? Or did they want to hide their provocative&extremist nature?
Why did they refuse police escort but engaged their own security guards?
Maybe because they would have to be clean and go by the book, without harassing legal hunters and entering private land, if they had to be escorted by police?
cont...
Andrew Gatt
Aug 31st 2010, 09:43
"He insisted that Cabs was only concerned with curbing illegal bird shooting and trapping, and claims that it was seeking a total ban on hunting in Malta were “absolutely false”.
Your website says exactly the opposite. Your mission statement is exactly the opposite.
No wonder you refused FKNK's offer to PAY for a full-time Police escort last season! So you could LIE and EXAGGERATE some more.Get lost and take your whole tribe of extremists with you.
M.A.Vella
Aug 31st 2010, 11:36
This is from CABS website.
http://www.komitee.de/en/index.php?malta
CABS is firmly committed to putting an end to the illegal killing and trapping of migrant birds on Malta.
If you don't understand what you read, how can you know what you are shooting at?............
patrick zammit
Aug 31st 2010, 12:03
A Gatt
Can you pls direct me to the cabs site where it says what you are claiming?
I only found this:
"We intervene in particular where bird trappers, hunters or animal traders commit offences against current nature protection legislation in Europe."
Andrew Gatt
Aug 31st 2010, 13:36
@ M A Vella.......I can read and I can identify birds very well, thank you! I reiterate what I commented about. Recent comments by myself and others that exposed their hypocrisy got them to change the text on their website.
You might also note the outdated, stale and exaggerated rubbish on that webpage.