Being a hunter, I was present in the field for practically all hours allowed for hunting and, contrary to the alleged carnage and lawlessness, the following is what I witnessed:

Police presence and that of the Armed Force of Malta was on the high side when compared to recent years.

Although turtle dove migration and that of quail was poor, what really struck me this season was the variety of birds I witnessed: ospreys (two), pallid harriers (four male and two female), montagus (eight female and six male), hobbies (five), sparrow hawks (one male and two female), red-footed (five male and two female), rollers (two), plenty of golden oriels (30+), bee eaters (200+), marsh harriers (100+), cuckoos (30+), night jars (15+) and honey buzzards (17).

Contrary to what one is led to believe, none of these birds were targeted. The osprey in particular was seen preparing to roost on Sunday evening and was seen again on Monday morning leaving the same roosting area and heading for Sicily unharmed. I also saw many marsh harriers heading to Sicily on many mornings, clearly signalling that the evening roost was not disturbed.

It is indeed sad that a few persist in persecuting protected species. However, it is very untrue that the problem is rampant and that all protected species are targeted. Failing to acknowledge the advancement made in nature protection and persisting in pushing for an outright ban of spring hunting due to illegalities is simply a slap in the face to the police and the AFM who carried out a sterling job, and to the law-abiding hunter who, following the European Court’s verdict, has been conceded the privilege to hunt during spring.