The legal practice of collecting bird specimens ably mounted by artists versed in the art of taxidermy is a common practice worldwide, no less in our islands. Unfortunately a government led by its nose by those that consider such practice as a reason for illegal hunting activity, notwithstanding heavy penalties aimed at deterring such practice, has seen to the demise of taxidermy and has driven any further collecting into an illicit practice.
a quick look on eBay under ‘taxidermy’ lists 5,482 specimens available for sale...- Mark Mifsud Bonnici, secretary, St Hubert Hunters, San Pawl tat-Tarġa
Apart from withholding licences for taxidermists, mounted bird collectors have had to register their collections to prevent any further collecting. It is also quite common for collectors, who after having legally acquired specimens abroad with all the necessary certification and documentation, to have their specimens refused entry into Malta.
Unlike the present servile government, that never fails to appease the objectors to anything related to dead birds, other governments have the decency to tackle such issues with common sense. Recovered dead birds, whether protected or not, and thousands of protected birds shot under derogation, as in the case of the UK www.naturalengland.org.uk/Images/UK-bird-derogation-report2007_tcm6-10240.pdf, are registered with the competent authorities and later sold or passed on to collectors. Such birds are mounted following the application of the respective EU derogations, which are equally applicable to Malta, that permit mounting of any bird species that has been so certified.
In Malta, all recovered birds, including those involved in fatal collisions, euthanised by vets, illegally imported or shot, are either kept in freezers at the Natural History Museum for no specific purpose or destroyed. What prevents the government from auctioning these birds to collectors using the money collected for some philanthropic purpose and satisfying the urge for some to illicitly acquire another specimen for their collection?
If it never occurred to the government that such sales occur, a quick look on eBay under “taxidermy” lists 5,482 specimens available for sale to any citizen worldwide. In all its ignorance of the matter does it expect to illegalise an art and a life-long passion just by relying upon the advice of its biased advisors?
Similar to all other suggestions proposed by hunters in order to attain privileges equal to those of other European hunters, the government will most likely also ignore this suggestion. As in the case of ridiculous one bird per day limits, the illegalising of trapping and other idiocies, it will, due to its bias and incompetence in hunting matters, add one more feather to its cap which many are waiting to pluck at the opportune moment.