Malta has a long and rich cultural history surrounding the noble sport of hunting. The historical trail related to hunting has left us with heritage such as hunters’ lodges dating to the time of the knights, and with natural respites such as Miżieb, Buskett and a worthy number of scattered plantations.
... Maltese hunters are entitled to the same rights enjoyed by the remaining EU hunters- Joseph Buttigieg, PRO FKNK, Msida
Since time immemorial, man has hunted in order to procure food or in order to defend his territory from predators. However, as with anything in life evolution takes its toll and time brings changes, least of which in hunting.
Hunting as we know it today is not essentially a life or death situation. However, man continues to hunt for various reasons. Some hunt to keep hold of a link in their genetic heritage and find comfort in keeping alive a tradition that is passed from father to son. Others hunt so as to enjoy a limited supply of organic meat.
Conservation also plays a role into why a person hunts as some hunters enjoy conservation activities (such as tree planting/pruning/cultivation, rubble wall restoration, creating water ways and ponds, and other land management) that lead to a compensatory reward from nature in the form of game hunting. Many hunters also enjoy hunting since it incorporates other activities such as dog training, reloading, decoy breeding. As a result it becomes a way of life that is kindled from a very tender age and becomes engrained into one’s being.
The Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FKNK) has long been stressing the positive side of hunting activities and that hunting and poaching are not interrelated. Yet most people would only be too willing to impose a ban on hunting due to poaching. It is true that a shotgun and shotgun cartridges are required for both, but are we to say that football, handball, basketball and water polo, represent the same activities simply because they all involve a team of players with the common aim of placing a ball within a net? And do we pledge war against these activities simply because of a few who persist in abusing their “fair play” norms?
It is rather sad that local the media do not give due coverage to the conservation aspects of hunting in Malta or the nutritional value of game. It is also sad that housewives pay with an ounce of gold for organic produce and yet the ill-informed or extremist antis do not acknowledge the right of hunters to have access to and hunt game sustainably, which is truly beyond any doubt as close to organic as one get.
However, what is even sadder is that we Maltese approve and welcome with a red carpet foreign organisations, such as the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) to ridicule our reputation, tradition and culture, while promoting and covering hunting practices originating from their country.
Malta is currently a laughing stock not because of political blunders, since these occur all over the world. Malta is a laughing stock because we appreciate anything foreign and play snob to anything Maltese, even if the subject is the same. It is a no-no to have a media report relating to a professional high profile person or a woman who hunts in Malta, since we prefer to keep the profile of the hunter to that of “an uneducated macho” a ħamallu, yet we glorify a woman who hunts in Germany by placing an article on her lifestyle (January 18).
When is society in Malta going to accept the fact that the Maltese hunters are entitled to the same rights enjoyed by the remaining EU hunters? When is BirdLife Malta and co. going to digest the fact that they are not some supremacy that should be glorified with the right to dictate and feed others their moral beliefs by imposing on hunters to give up their hunting rights?