In the recent TV programme TimesTalk, Birdlife Malta president Joe Mangion commented about the participants of their raptor camps, who, he states, are interested in birds and who, in his own words, come to Malta to spend money.
Just to quantify their contribution to the Maltese economy, these are the rates offered to the participants as published by Birdlife Malta (www.birdlifemalta.org/Content/raptorcamp_2013/cost/1196/#.Uk7fIVPp-JY “A shared room of 2/3 people costs €29 per person per night (full board). Single rooms (subject to availability) are €37 a night. Rates are inclusive of all local taxes and VAT.”
Crammed three to a room at €29 full board and glued to their cameras day and night, Mangion might wish to amplify on the participants’ spending while in Malta unless his reluctance to answer other pertinent questions during the programme still holds.
As for the participants’ interest in birds, it seems bird identification is not even a requisite. The same Birdlife Malta website states: “We are always looking for volunteers with good bird identification skills and general bird knowledge. But don’t worry if this isn’t you, a crash course in bird ID skills will be provided during the course of the camp and, similarly, we are always keen to have photographers and people familiar with operating handheld video cameras, which are the main tool used for recording evidence of illegal hunting.”
Quite simply, Birdlife Malta could advertise their activity as follows: Have a hatred for hunting, a good steady hand and a good camera skills? For €29 daily, including a crash course in bird identification, come to sunny Malta for two weeks, pretend to be a bird watcher and get any of your video footage or photos published worldwide for free.
Mangion, his Birdlife and their intentions of promoting bird watching tourists are, quite simply, a farce and a national embarrassment to all with even an iota of common sense.
Unlike our previous accommodating minister of tourism, I trust Karmenu Vella will take note of this “potential market”.