The article by Paul Portelli Watching Raptors Migrating Is A Rewarding Experience (September 21), augurs a different approach to what is indeed a rewarding experience. For once readers are spared the sight of gory pictures or the labelling of hunters as butchers, murderers and what not, aimed at sensationalising the issue of a few deplorable illegalities.

Raptor migration, though not as spectacular over Malta as in places known for high concentrations of migratory raptors, still offers the occasional good day or two per season where one could always enjoy such a spectacle. Raptors along the Mediterranean basin, as Mr Portelli rightly pointed out, concentrate over the shortest sea crossings such as the Straits of Gibraltar, the Bosphorus and the Cape Bon/West Sicily route.

Raptors tend to migrate mostly over land seeking warm thermals that facilitate their crossing allowing them to soar and glide rather than flutter their wings to fly as most other birds do. Malta being 300 kilometers off the closest short crossing gets its small share whenever particular meteorological conditions veer a few birds off their intended course but never was and never will be considered a major migratory route.

Raptors throughout the EU are offered full protection by law, save for Germany where, according to reliable sources (www.komitee.de/en/projects/germany/raptor-poaching) all raptor species in Germany are still officially categorised as “huntable wildlife”. This, of course is not acceptable under European nature protection legislation. Germany’s southernmost state Bavaria has to date blatantly ignored the EU bird protection guidelines and permitted the annual killing of hundreds of goshawks and buzzards. Elsewhere the perpetrators find their own way around the law. Together with rampant raptor shooting, poisoning and trapping in several EU states as can be attested on the internet makes this form of persecution a common shame.

Fortunately, proper law enforcement has curbed abuse in no small way throughout all important raptor migratory routes. The annual carnage in the Strait of Messina, so ably documented by the Italian Anna Giordano, has been reduced to a few isolated cases. No less has the much smaller problem in Malta, as I am sure Mr Portelli can confirm.

What strikes me as ludicrous is that while all other EU hunters in far more important raptor areas are permitted to hunt throughout the raptor migratory period, Maltese hunters are deprived of this privilege throughout the best part of bird migration. Considering the ease of enforcing laws on an island the size of Malta in comparison to policing the vast European continent, what precludes our government from acting like any other European government?

Clearly the government has no faith in its law enforcement and the judiciary, and in view of adequate fines and prison sentences for any such crime, chooses to castigate all hunters.

So while Mr Portelli can enjoy the best part of raptor migration I and thousands of other hunters are deprived of the best part of our season. If this measure were to be adopted wherever illegalities occur one might understand this sort of reasoning. Perhaps our Prime Minister, who is responsible for such matters, might decide to explain why he chooses to be so unique in our respect and in comparison with all other EU governments?