Ramblings from Bidnija

Maurice Mizzi’s anti-hunting letter (‘Egoists affecting our lifestyle’, The Sunday Times of Malta, April 28), deserves a reply.

Obviously bothered by letters of hunters, Mizzi cannot think of one sound argument in favour of hunting. Over seven million people in the EU could teach him.

Mizzi maintains that tourists are put off coming to Malta because of hunters. He forgets that as records go, Malta is also the most crowded place in Europe and also a driver’s nightmare due to the number of vehicles, many of which provide him with his bread and butter, on our roads. If he considers hunting to be a hindrance to tourism he should note that tourist arrivals these past years have reached record figures.

Mizzi claims that “walking in the countryside is dangerous”. This is nonsense. Can he give figures of persons injured by shotgun pellets to substantiate this claim? If indeed he is concerned about dangers while walking he might consider importing bicycles rather than cars given the ever increasing accident rates.

Birdlife Malta’s recorded bird sightings contradict his contention that there are no birds on Malta. Contrary to Mizzi’s claim, no bird species was “depleted from the world” because of Maltese hunters. Besides, no doctor has ever diagnosed heart rhythm being affected by gunshots though some do suffer from palpitations whenever they hear a shot or see a hunter.

As to hunters costing Maltese taxpayers millions of euros, Mizzi should note that hunters, comprising four per cent (not two per cent) of the Maltese population, pay their taxes too. Finally, yes, hunters have their rights as a minority in a democracy. This is how democracy works.