Come spring and Alternattiva Demokratika’s Arnold Cassola, with apparently nothing better to do, yet again attacks hunters and trappers, this time round blaming them for the bad state of Wied Għomor and Wied il-Kbir (March 31). He also repeats the now dishonoured phrase, by none other than the highest EU nstitution, the European Court of Justice, that spring hunting is illegal.

An online correspondent said: “I have pleasant memories of my youth when these valleys extended from Tigullio site to Mensija chapel on one side and St Rita chapel on the other”. If it had been for hunters and trappers, who, yes, are responsible for the conservation of the little that remains, the valleys would still be in the state this correspondent speaks about.

There is no such thing as “illegal hunting”, at any time of the year. There is sustainable, very legal hunting and there are persons who break the law and not just regarding hunting matters.

Whenever we hunted in spring, we did so legally; when, in the springs of 2008 and 2009, the seasons were not opened, we did not hunt and when we were presented with a biased and insolent open season in 2010, we also did not hunt.

Even BirdLife Malta, that put such a slogan on personalities’ T-shirts and made them look the fools, have stopped uttering such nonsense.

At least, this time, AD has spared us from their ignorance of subject matters when, a few days ago, they said that hunting should not be permitted in spring when the birds are travelling south to breed!