Gozo ministry finances hunting exhibition in schools, BirdLife up in arms

The Gozo ministry is financing a roving exhibition by hunters’ fraternity Kaċċaturi San Ubertu in all primary schools on Gozo, in a controversial moved that has attracted the condemnation of conservationists.

BirdLife Malta CEO Mark Sultana said the exhbition was “unethical” because it promoted the killing of birds, as well as the use of a firearm, to primary-age school-children.

MaltaToday is informed that all primary schools in Gozo were informed in writing by the director-general for heads of colleges, that the exhibition was being financed by the Gozo ministry. “The project’s aim is to show the facts about legal hunting in Malta... information leaflets will be given out to students who will be able to ask their questions by sending an email to Kaċċaturi San Ubertu.”

The circular was sent to all heads of school, who are invited to inform the association as to whether they would like to host the exhibition. The exhibition will include the distribution of leaflets, two roll-up banners and two free-standing posters. The exhibition can be set up in a small space, with the association saying it is preferable that this space is at the entrance to the school.

“It is disgusting,” Sultana told MaltaToday in a reaction. “We’re alarmed at the fact that this has the blessing of the Education Department – they are promoting the killing of birds, with the use of a firearm to boot, at a time when in 2023 the EU is doing all it can to reduce the exploitation of natural resources, while we promote the opportunity to kills birds with young children. Even the promotion of the use of firearms in this case makes absolutely no sense in an educational context.”

Sultana said he filed a complain with education minister Clifton Grima to ask whether this exhibition had the blessing of the ministry. “I hope it is not, so as to stop such an unethical exhibition.”