Paul Portelli (The Shooting Of Spoonbills, February 23) proved me right when, in January, before the end of the autumn season, I predicted that all means of propaganda pressure will appear in the media against spring hunting. This situation has been repeating itself over the last years. The problem is spring hunting has nothing to do with illegal activity, so much so that the killing of the spoonbills occurred in the closed season. In other words, whether the season is opened or closed, the poachers or hunters, call them what you like, would still chase their prey.
It is a fact that awareness of protected birds has increased and incidents of illegal hunting are becoming more curtailed. Unfortunately, like in any other crime, it is difficult to control and abuses do happen. The most important thing is that, when these happen, the authorities concerned will see to it that the culprits are heavily penalised to serve as a deterrent to possible future offenders. In all honesty, these individuals are very few and it is abnormal to deprive the remaining hunting fraternity because of these few.
His request to put pressure on the government to keep the spring season closed will do a great injustice to the majority of hunters who have been waiting for years now to be allowed to exercise their right on only two huntable birds.
It is also unfair to criticise the hunters’ federation – FKNK and other law-abiding hunters who have been contributing together with the police administrative law enforcement unit to control and report illegal activity.
One cannot keep quoting the past because it is evident success will only be achieved if cooperation is forthcoming from all concerned, including Mr Portelli and BirdLife.
Everyone who has hunting at heart condemns the killing of the spoonbills. These are not game birds and we have to report all type illegal activity. The presence of the hunters in the country is the only way to direct the ALE to control illegal activity. Quoting the past is only an excuse to abolish all type of hunting.
This has been the aim of BirdLife for many years but, fortunately, the European Court of Justice gave the Maltese hunter the right to exercise his hobby to hunt quails and turtle doves in spring. The ECJ proved all those wearing the illegal spring hunting T-shirts wrong and the season was opened last spring but the conditions were unacceptable to the hunters.
We are now earnestly waiting to see a more acceptable spring season where the duration would be as promised by the Prime Minister and open to all hunters. I take the opportunity to urge all hunters to enjoy their sport and come forward with any illegal activity because their pastime depends on the behaviour of all those carrying a gun. I am convinced FKNK will be introducing their own watchdogs but the cooperation of all hunters is solicited.
I expect more pressure will be forthcoming for the spring season to remain closed but, by now, everyone got used to it and the main concern would be to have a spring hunting season within the limits of the Birds Directive as recommended by the ECJ.