The German Ambassador has rejected the defence of hunting as a traditional pastime, saying it no longer serves its original useful purpose.
I don’t believe God had in mind that we human beings would enjoy killing what He had created just a moment ago
“Today, hunting as a sport to kill animals, as a sport to do harm to nature and to our environment instead of protecting and respecting it, is a tradition that is overdue to disappear from our planet,” Hubert Ziegler told The Times in reaction to letters slamming his interview with The Sunday Times earlier this month.
Dr Ziegler found himself at the centre of controversy when he expressed his views about hunting, a divisive issue in Malta.
Speaking in a personal capacity, Dr Ziegler said hunters could not avoid cruelty and that he opposed any hunting in all countries that went beyond what was necessary to control the balance of nature.
The hunting federation (FKNK) felt compelled to write in response that hunters ensured their prey was killed instantaneously or quickly after being shot, and that hunting illegalities were widespread in Europe and not limited to Malta.
St Hubert Hunters fired an even stronger missive to The Times, detailing hunting irregularities in Dr Ziegler’s home country.
In response, Dr Ziegler said: “I read with greatest interest, but as well with disappointment, the open letters from the St Hubert Hunters and the FKNK. Obviously my message was misunderstood.”
However, this did not surprise him as he had read and heard the hunters’ arguments over and over again.
“They always remind me of my childhood when I argued with my parents because friends of mine were allowed to do things I was forbidden to do – and of course I wanted to have the same rights as them.
“The Maltese bird hunters’ arguments go in the same direction when they justify the killing of thousands of birds [and their request for derogations] with the killing of even more birds and possibly more derogations in other countries.”
Dr Ziegler reiterated his opposition to any form of hunting in any country, including Germany, which goes beyond simple necessity.
“We have to protect nature, not do harm to it,” the ambassador said.
According to Dr Ziegler, the hunters’ arguments did not reflect the situations “modern societies” faced.
“Can we accept that in our modern, civilised, well-educated world, innocent, beautiful, harmless animals that enrich our nature are being killed by human beings?” he asked.
“And how can it be justified against the background of our modern rules of ethical behaviour that – even worse – the killing of those animals is something that is obviously a most enjoyable and exciting habit?”
Dr Ziegler, who will be retiring in three months’ time, left the final word to a higher power.
“All those who believe in God know that He created us human beings on day six after having created the animals. I don’t believe He had in mind that we human beings would enjoy killing what He had created just a moment ago.”