Brian Simmons, who comments regularly on timesofmalta.com whenever hunting is mentioned, states in his letter Better Approach To Hunting (March 14 “Hunters are not interested in rules. This is proved by the empty skies in Malta. I remember the swans in Malta.”

He considers Malta’s empty skies as a result of hunters not observing the rules.

Clearly, he might either have impaired vision or, perhaps, he expects his nonsense to be credible. On their website, Birdlife Malta record migration observations that prove the contrary to what he claims, as does anyone who admits to reality.

Birds might not be as plentiful as anywhere else in Europe, however, the skies are certainly not empty except, of course, for cynics or the non observant.

As for hunters being uninterested in rules, as is the case in other countries, we have our share of law breakers. However, it is only people like Simmons that infallibly scorn Maltese hunters by depicting them as being some exception.

The correspondent remembers the swans, indeed so do all hunters that were shocked at the news of some having been shot. What he seems to forget, is totally ignorant about or purposely omits is that, in the UK, where he states “we stick to the rules”, swans are also illegally shot. One can read about such an occurrence, the killing of 29 swans, a harrier and a heron by his co-nationals at www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/2416920.swan_killing_case_dropped/

Is Simmons now going to condemn all British hunters using the same yardstick?

If the correspondent considers this to be an isolated case of wildlife crime, then a look at any Defra report about such shameful acts will definitely help keep his mouth shut, making it easier for him to swallow his bias against Malta.