Hunters’ paranoia

I refer to Edwin Calleja’s letter Hunters’ Malady (August 3) and the latest insinuations about BirdLife slaughtering birds by hunters’ federation president Joe Perici Calascione and hasten to add that the hunters’ malady also includes paranoia and persecutory delusions.

His comments were aimed to elicit sympathies from the international public but, in reality, he made a fool of himself and made the Maltese look as if everything revolves around FKNK’s right to hunt and slaughter birds.

The argument of mental health was first brought up by FKNK to defend their so-called hobby, complaining hunters will suffer from depression in case of a hunting ban. They also argue that they love birds, which they show by shooting at them. Should these people be allowed to carry a firearm in the first place?

Not to mention the bad press the hunting lobby is giving the Maltese islands. There goes Malta’s sustainable tourism policy and eco-tourism. Our environemntal heritage and biodiversity should be protected; hunting, whether legal or not, does not improve the well-being of local people.