Patrick Cooke
Hunters ‘must be really poor shots’
Paul Debono (left)and Nicholas Barbara during the news conference yesterday. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli
Local hunters are either very poor shots or they are not reporting the actual number of birds killed during the current spring hunting season, Birdlife Malta said yesterday.
Six teams of Spring Watch volunteers had recorded over 7,500 shots during permitted hunting hours since the camp began on April 10, BLM executive director Paul Debono told a news conference.
“If the hunters have not reached the quota yet then Maltese hunters must be really poor shots,” Mr Debono said.
Spring Watch teams can only cover around 10 per cent of Malta and Gozo in one day, Mr Debono estimated, so “it’s probably fair to say that the total shots are at least three times what we recorded”.
Under the terms of this year’s controversial spring hunting season permitted by the government, Malta’s 5,600 licensed hunters are allowed to shoot 9,000 turtledoves and 2,500 quails from April 13 until the end of the month or when the quota is reached, but no more than one each per day and four in the whole season.
They are meant to send a text message to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority each time they kill a bird to enable the authority to keep tabs on the season.
“A spring hunting derogation that runs for almost three weeks but only permits almost two birds per hunter on average is a farce,” Mr Debono said. “The fact that the hunters barely objected to the quota on the number of birds they can kill as long as they were given around three weeks to shoot is precisely the reason why we suspect most of them will not be reporting their catch honestly.”
Birdlife’s conservation officer Nicholas Barbara said Spring Watch volunteers had recorded over 800 instances of illegal hunting and trapping since April 10.
Common violations of the spring hunting conditions sanctioned by the government included hunting outside of permitted hours and hunters’ failure to wear designated armbands. Hunting is not permitted after 3 p.m. on weekdays and at all on Sundays.
Shot protected birds had also been handed over to Birdlife, including two hoopoes, two common kestrels, one marsh harrier and one cuckoo over the last 12 days.
Volunteers recorded a further 14 protected birds with injuries consistent with gunshot injuries.
Geoffrey Saliba, Birdlife’s campaigns coordinator, told The Sunday Times there had been a marked increase in the “disgusting practice” of illegal night hunting this spring, possibly because of increased daytime surveillance by Spring Watch volunteers, the police Administrative Law Enforcement unit and the 43 hunting marshals recruited specifically for the season.
“It’s hard to prevent because we can hear the shots but we can’t see where they are taking place. Hunters approach sleeping birds, shine a light in their faces and shoot them at point-blank range – there is no skill involved whatsoever,” he said.
Meanwhile, further doubt was cast on the legality of spring hunting by Veronika Ferdinandova, a Birdlife volunteer and biodiversity project officer for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Belgrade, who attended yesterday’s press conference to discuss the conservation status of turtle dove and quail.
When the European Court of Justice found that Malta had failed to comply with the conditions for a derogation of the EU Birds Directive when it permitted spring hunting from 2004 to 2007, the ruling did note that the IUCN listed turtle dove and quail as species of ‘least concern’ from a conservation perspective. However, Ms Ferdinandova said this had been misinterpreted by those seeking to justify the hunting of these species in spring, as although they were listed as ‘least concern’ globally, in Europe they have unfavourable conservation status. Therefore, they should not be hunted in spring, when they are returning to their rearing grounds.
“This is clear from the European Commission point of view,” she told The Sunday Times.
Reacting, Kaċċaturi San Ubertu said that hunters were cooperating with authorities to prevent or minimise abuse, and accused BLM of being unable to admit that things had improved “drastically”.
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Mr Carmel Farrugia
Apr 28th 2011, 13:48
It is amazing how an accountant by profession as Mr. Debono can state that the bag limit of 11,500 birds must have been reached with 7,500 shots.
And this is being stated when BirdLife themselves had agreed with the scientifically established local fact of the shots-to-kill ratio of 7:1.
Mr Johnny Xerri
Apr 24th 2011, 16:57
The opinion of Ms Veronika Ferdinandova, (Birdlife volunteer and biodiversity project officer for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Belgrade) is not worth as much as the ECJ court ruling and as much as the EU Commission's approval of the legal framework.
In fact when people like her air an opinion, based on their own agenda, the commen they air has the same quality as the air I produce after having a couple of; lager pints, bigilla and gbejniet
Mr Johnny Xerri
Apr 24th 2011, 16:52
7500 shots...wow!!!
From 13th April I have been in my fields during the permitted hours...fields that are usually decent enough to hunt in...and I hardly heard more than 100 shots in 9 days (average of 10 per day...but mostly less shots during most days and slightly more on the 20th and 21st)...and saw no more than 30 doves and saw no more than 5 being killed...I shot at 6 and hit none as they were all high flyers...thats 18 shots and not one bird down...(my field is mostly good for night passages " erba ta bil lejl" or roosts (Roosts have been banned since no hunting can take place after 3pm...and night passages have not taken place since there has not been one morning in which there was night rain)
BLM ave stated that they heard 7500 shots can they tell us from were as I for one would be willing to pay good money to be able to rent a field there and hunt in these areas.
7500 shots does no equal 7500 killed birds.
just like
Weeping for 8 years that spring hunting is illegal does not make it illegal
Tony Caruana
Apr 24th 2011, 14:43
If Ms Veronika Ferdinandova is so concerned about the status of the Turtle Dove and Quail she should have a looker closer to home where Thousands of Italians go every year to shoot these species. Of course they pay Millions of Euros so i guess its Ok for her.
Mr Anthony Formosa
Apr 24th 2011, 13:32
Do BLM knows that a Turtle dove can travel with a speed of 80 to 100 kms/ hr and when shots are fired at it or flying downwind the speed can increase. Malta is not Argentina or any other country, I've noticed the same dove flying out of range with a speed of 100km/hr taking at least 60 shots, every hunter was trying his luck.
Mr joseph lia
Apr 24th 2011, 13:25
I am reporting todays findings, Easter Sunday the 24th of April, as established by government TD and Q shooting is not allowed on Sundays and feast days.
Location; Ghar Hasan/l/o B'bugia
Date & Time; 24/04/2011, 8.30am
Wind Direction; E force 4, temp; 17degrees
Between 09.45 and 10.30 I heard over 62 gunshots,
now, don't panic, after further investigation I walked a few Km and came right next to the Hal Far Shooting Range, where a 'sparatura' was in progress. Now any foreigner or anti-hunter would quickly report these shots inadvertantly and there you are the Maltese hunters are at it again!
Crux of this story is I wonder how much our foreign guests are briefed about this regular and common occurance locally. We hear tyre screeching and abrupt car-braking every day, it does not necessarily mean that these end up in car accidents!
Mr Colin Formosa
Apr 24th 2011, 11:53
With regards to the amount of shots heard, on a calm day in Mellieha I can hear the shots from Gozo, Mizieb, Mgarr, Zebbiegh,Bingemma,Selmun, Mellieha itself and most of North West rural Malta.
That six teams can only cover 10% of the shots is a bit poor, like us hunters' aims. In Fact its probably fair to say that the same shots were recorded by different teams and are likely to be three times as much as actually took place ; P
Mr Joe Camilleri
Apr 24th 2011, 11:37
So what that we make poor shots!!!!
what is for sure is that SPRING HUNTING IS LEGAL and that your lies came to the surface.
Ms Sylvana Zarb Darmanin
Apr 24th 2011, 10:57
"The fact.................the reason why we SUSPECT (my capitals) most of them will not be reporting their catch honestly.” BLM since when are facts derived from suspect??!! These are the type of allegations you are accustomed of making. We are well aware that hunters have more than objected to the low bag-limits permitted by Government. So why have you deceitfully said that they have "barely objected"? Furthermore, I assure you that the many Maltese law-abiding hunters enjoy being in the countryside along with their hunting dogs and their shotguns. It is not just the killing of game that presents enjoyment of the Spring Hunting Season. You just cannot understand the meaning of hunting!
BLM you are clutching at straws! You have been exposed of your big fat lie that Spring Hunting is illegal! Now, please, step aside and let the Maltese hunters enjoy their LEGAL Spring Hunting Season! Enjoy your bird-watching and focus your attention on poachers if you wish!!
D. A . Agius
Apr 24th 2011, 14:16
Maybe the BLM "inspectors" should be armed with flourescent bands and made to text in every shot they hear. Maybe also input the location in the text (GPS co-ordinates) as they may be near a clay pigeon range without knowing.
Jason Borg
Apr 24th 2011, 14:20
When I asked Europe Direct if it is true or not that the Maltese Government had reached an agreement with the European Commission on the opening of a Spring Hunting season (http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110328/local/spring-hunting-agreement-reached-with-european-commission), the reply that I got was this:
We would like to inform you that the Commission does not enter into 'agreements' with Member States regarding the application of EU law.
It looks that somebody is taking hunters for another pre-election ride.