Mark Mifsud Bonnici (November 30) refers to the report that names me as the main financial supporter of the Dolphin Project in Malta.

This is not exact, and I will be taking legal steps to alter this assertion which I had not seen until my attention was drawn to it by Mr Mifsud Bonnici’s letter.

While it was true that I was a director of the Splash Park for some years, I was not directly involved in the importation of the dolphins. Neither was I a financial supporter of the project.

As far as I know the animals were consigned to Joe Fenech by Nato which flew the dolphins to Malta from Yugoslavia in order to save them from being killed due to the civil war in that country. Once in Malta they could not be released in our seas as they would have died. The directors had no choice but to look after them to the best of their ability.

A large pool was constructed, and eventually, as far as I know, the dolphins were properly cared for and made comfortable. In reality the Maltese company had saved the lives of these animals.

I resigned from the board not long after the commercial use of the dolphins began.

I am against any cruelty to any animal including the shooting and maiming of birds. I also believe in the freedom of all animals.

I have just returned from Kruger Park and besides seeing at close quarters the “big five” animals I also saw thousands of birds such as giant kingfishers, African hoopoes, giant eagle owls, storks, herons, hornbills and other beautiful birds in their natural habitat.

In the photo one can see a hornbill which came into the dining room and after admiring himself in the mirror came to eat from my hand.

On the other hand Malta has the worst international reputation possible for hunting.

My friends in South Africa were shocked at the way Maltese hunters shoot everything in sight.

Finally I can read Mr Mifsud Bonnici’s mind. He is trying to pin on to me something nasty in order to relieve his conscience of his guilt caused by his barbaric cruelty of killing and maiming of birds.

If he wants to research further he can go back to January 1936 when I was born and look in my nappy. Maybe he will find something interesting.

However if he were to look up my recent history, he will find that my companies employ over 1,000 people and that five years ago I personally set up the Spiro Mizzi Foundation in order to help the children of the “Three Cities” by providing them with computers and teachers. What is he doing for our islands except scaring away our tourists and filling our soil and vegetables with harmful lead?

I am constantly praying to St Hubert to let Mr Mifsud Bonnici shoot birds to his heart’s content – with a camera and not with a filthy gun.