Hunters complain of poor bird migration season
The migration of turtle doves and quails over Malta in September was “very poor”, according to hunters.
This was stated in a report the Hunters’ Federation (FKNK) submitted to the EU’s environment director general in an attempt to justify spring hunting by arguing that autumn is not a satisfactory alternative.
“The migration of turtle doves and quails in September over Malta was very poor, particularly that of quail, justifying, yet again, the European Court of Justice ruling that autumn hunting does not offer a satisfactory solution for Maltese hunters,” the federation said in a statement yesterday.
The report covers the month of September when BirdLife Malta and German partners CABS organised raptor camps to monitor the situation on the ground as migratory birds of prey passed over Malta.
Hunters admitted there were a “handful of poachers” who engaged in illegal activity. However, they said the hotspots were identified and insisted on more collaboration between hunters, the police and conservationists to eliminate illegalities.
Reacting to the findings, BirdLife Malta said the federation refused to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation when it spoke of a handful of poachers.
“BirdLife has continued to receive numerous shot protected birds and witnesses illegalities committed on a daily basis in widespread locations throughout the islands” a spokesman said, insisting the bird conservation group had yet to see evidence of an improved situation.
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Alex Ellul
Nov 12th 2010, 11:34
Our government has again increased taxes on tobacco and other poisons. Its time that a hefty tax is levied on shotgun hunting cartridges, with a partial refund on return of empties, an incentive for hunters to clean up the country side from spend cartridges unstead of leaving these all over the countryside.
Charmaine Marmara'
Nov 13th 2010, 12:33
well said !!!!
Alex Ellul
Nov 12th 2010, 10:51
So, with a poor Autumn migration, (because, most probably the number of birds is decreasing), why kill the birds that survive the Autumn blitzgreig when flying back north during Spring to mate, increase and multiply? Lead poisoning eventually leads to reduced brain cells. Maybe that's why hunters cannot understand logic.
Sometime I intend reading this FKNK's report. On second thoughts I won't, its a waste of time. The title was enough.
Ivan Cassar
Nov 12th 2010, 10:20
The migration of turtle doves and quails over Malta in September was “very poor”
SEEMS THE BIRDS ARE GETTING SMART ! AND SO IS THE PUBLIC SO SPARE US IDOTIC STATMENTS SUCH AS:
Hunters admitted there were a “handful of poachers” who engaged in illegal activity.
N.Cutajar
Nov 12th 2010, 08:57
Shoot first, complain later.
George Vella
Nov 12th 2010, 02:36
'Hunters complain of poor bird migration season'
I am glad to read that, I am sure that now migratory birds are getting smarter and more intelligent!
They now got a new instinct... DO NOT FLY OVER malta and gozo.
A Attard
Nov 11th 2010, 19:46
Andrew Gatt: So everyone else is guilty, but you and your fellow hunters are the only innocent ones?!
g.lewis
Nov 11th 2010, 19:05
birds must be more clever than the hunters
A. Xerri
Nov 11th 2010, 17:04
Dont you hunters get through your heads that the more you kill in the spring will effect the september hunt. Let the birds do their thing in springtime. It will come a day that you will have no choice but to give up hunting in Autumn because it will be no birds to shoot at except yourselfs. As for the authorities where they sleeping when it comes to bird trapping because all you had to do is look in the fields and it was hard to believe that the season for bird trapping was closed, you can see the little cages from anywere.
r sammut
Nov 11th 2010, 19:03
Please note Mr/Ms A Xerri, turtle doves and quails have not been shot for the past three Springs! Now as birds passed Malta without being disturbed to breed, one would have expected/hoped to see a boost in Autumn bird numbers! For the past three years numbers were no different than all other, no increase whatsoever!
Our Spring hunting will not make that difference in bird numbers. The percentage losses in bird migration due to natural causes as storms and bad weather is much much higher that those taken in our Spring. That is one other crux point about consenting Malta derogation.
Manwel Borg
Nov 11th 2010, 19:47
@ A Xerri
in case you forgot, there was no spring hunting in 2008 (interim measure by the European Court of Justice), no spring hunting again in 2009 (same reason), and no spring hunting in 2010 (ridiculously short 'season' of 6 mornings!!! boycotted by the hunters).
Therefore, there was a closed spring season for 3 years after each other.
By your reasoning there should have been plenty of turtle-doves and quails last September, after three hunting-free springs. But the facts are different, and prove that your reasoning in this case is wrong.
RMangion
Nov 12th 2010, 08:19
@ R Sammut & Manwel Borg,
Yes, then how come the season was closed and you still heard gunshots ? Come on lets not try the " good boy following the rules attitude" We know that illegal hunting still goes on
r sammut
Nov 12th 2010, 13:17
@R Mangion
Also drugs are illegal but it is one of the worst problems Malta is facing!!! As was in the days of the alcohol prohibition in America, many gangs thrived to supply it underground! SO???
Edward Camilleri
Nov 11th 2010, 16:55
@ turtle doves and quails over Malta in September was “very poor”
If so, then what hunters were shooting on in September? I spend hours in the courtryside and never went anywhere when shooting stopped. Not even during the afternoon ban, one hears also infrequent shots.
R. C Conti
Nov 11th 2010, 15:11
Birds aren't stupid anymore!!
M. Cardona
Nov 11th 2010, 16:16
No R C Conti they're not and neither are we any longer.
N.Cutajar
Nov 11th 2010, 13:41
''autumn hunting does not offer a satisfactory solution for Maltese hunters''
& no hunting at all offers a satisfactory solution for all the Maltese, (excluding bird shooting fanatics)
M.Gatt
Nov 11th 2010, 13:32
Jaqaw ahna suppost qed jidispjacina ghax ma kellhomx bizzejjed ghasafar x'joqtlu??
C Cassar
Nov 11th 2010, 13:30
The reason there are fewer birds is that the "hunters" have shot dead most of the breeding pairs of turtle doves and quails over the last years. Hunters can't understand that if you massacre huge populations of wildlife, it eventually dies out.
Congratulations for leaving yet another beautiful legacy for the future children of Malta.
Andrew Gatt
Nov 11th 2010, 16:36
C Cassar, may I recommend you stay out of this debate since you clearly have nothing AT ALL of any substance or sense to contribute.
For your informatont is scientifically proved and conceded by all serious birding organizations that habitat loss, pesticides, intensive agricultural practices, loss of hedgerows and pollution are the main reasons for dramatic declines in some bird populations. NOT HUNTING. Usually caused by the same countries whose activists then target tiny Malta for all sorts of camps, campaigns, victimisations and exaggerations.
"Massacre huge populations of wildlife"! Isma l-iehor! Whaddaya think we're living in- a tiny 17 miles by 9 miles arid rock called Malta or the friggin' Amazon rainforest?
Honestly, where do you lot get your ideas from?
C Cassar
Nov 11th 2010, 17:25
This isn't my "idea", it's fact. Those still stuck in the past who refuse to join the 21st century continually blame everything else apart from themselves. Who are those with the "smoking gun"? The so called "hunters". Actually, the description of "hunter" isn't quite fair. That's reserved for those who need to hunt for food in order to survive. What we have in Malta is a bunch of cowards taking pot shots at defenceless wild life that does not belong to them.
Well, enjoy your birdless skies, it's all your own making.
Jason Borg
Nov 11th 2010, 12:37
L-ewwel ibattlu l-gzejjer minn kull ghasfur, imbaghad jghidu ma kien hawn xejn. Lanqas pespus ma jhallu ghaddej. Morru Hal Lija wara l-knisja tal-Mirakli fi nzul ix-xemx ha taraw b'ghajnejkom.
M. Cardona
Nov 11th 2010, 16:16
Mr Jason Borg,
do hunters also shoot at the following birds; Sofor, dizzijiet, bilbla, kalandra, durrajsa and thats to mention but a few? Yet where are there previous numbers?
Going by your same argument ie "Lanqas pespus ma jhallu ghaddej", there wouldn't have been the need for any crocodile tears for the pruning of trees last week followed by the claim of some 7000 wagtails! Please decide either or!
By the way do hunters also shoot the swallow tail butterflies? Cause I rarely see them any more?
J. Debono
Nov 11th 2010, 12:34
Jekk joqtlu kull ghasfur li jaraw, x'jippretendu!!!
Xi darba ha jispiccaw hux?
E Gatt
Nov 11th 2010, 11:23
unfortunately, some hunters vented their frustrations on the swarms of starlings that abound at this time of the year. Some of the birds are simply left where they fell, some dead and others injured, indeed a tragic affair. Some trigger happy hunter will probably revert by declaring starlings as being pests and that they are actually favouring us by blasting them out of our skies.. For the majority of us however their multitudes provide us with a wonderful spectacle and which we fear will also be compromised should this action, which some regard as a sport, persists.
Johann Cutajar
Nov 11th 2010, 13:46
....and people with your same ideology say that it's not hatred towards hunters! So you're bothered because hunters shoot a couple of tens of starlings but you don't give a honk when personnel at our airport poison hundreds of starlings, and other birds, leaving them to die slowly on the ground!! Some people I can't understand, others are just a case of no come back!
E Gatt
Nov 12th 2010, 09:27
Mr. Cutajar, for your information I too was a hunter many years ago and still pay a licence to keep my shotgun, however I desist from being associated with the so called hunters of today and who go about shooting at everything that flies, whether these birds are indeed protected or not.
As to your claims that MIA employees are poisoning starlings, this seems to be news meant to generate hatred more than anything else, unless you can of course prove otherwise. MIA had invested much in bird scaring equipment - so kindly provide us readers with hard evidence, or simply shut up.....
Joe Camilleri
Nov 11th 2010, 11:18
"according to hunters" please do not tell me that there are birdwatchers who vow that the migration of turtle doves and quails was excellent. Because otherwise they do not know how to differentiate between the Valletta pigeons and turtledoves
"Birdlife has .....the islands" a spokesman said, well who is this spokesman????
And what does this article has to do with CABS and the brutta compania ??
David Gandao
Nov 11th 2010, 11:04
Its obvious the birds are communicating between themselves and advising each other to avoid Malta because of the higher probability of being shot at!! lol