IVA spokesperson condemns ‘extremism’ of No camp

During a press conference in front of the St Helena Church in Birkirkara this morning, the IVA (‘Yes to Spring Hunting’) representative Kathleen Grima urged all to consider “responsible practice” when discussing hunting in Malta, while also condemning what she deemed “extremist” pronouncements from the anti-spring hunting camp.

Noting that the No camp used persistent illegalities committed by hunters as a motif for their campaign, Grima conceded that illegalities need to be taken seriously, as “illegalities are in fact the hunters’ worst enemy”.

Grima added that, “Illegalities are however on the decline, as has even been noted by Birdlife itself, who reported a 71% decline in hunting illegalities in 2013.”

“It’s also worth noting that the No campaign is also focusing on illegalities which are not committed in spring – which goes to show that what they want to see is the total abolition of hunting in Malta. These are extremist views,” Grima said.

Grima also suggested that if hunters are “removed from the Maltese landscape”, this will only lead to further illegalities, as this will lead to a situation in which those hunters prone to committing illegalities would feel undaunted about doing so.

“It has been proven time and time again that hunters themselves are a great deterrent for illegalities,” Grima said, claiming that police work tends to increase when there are no hunters in the Maltese countryside.

“The way forward is investing in education to prevent illegalities – not outright abolition,” Grima said.

She also took pro-environmental entities like Birdlife to task for persistently pointing out illegalities committed by hunters, while failing to mention potential illegalities in sites under their care, such as the Simar Nature Reserve in St Paul’s Bay, which employ cat traps to protect the birds on the site.

“We have asked Animal Welfare to look into how the stray cats caught at the Simar Nature Reserve are treated – we can only imagine the suffering they must go through when they’re caught on the site,” Grima said.

Grima said she wished to conclude the campaign by reminding the public that “not everyone” should be punished for the mistakes made by a few, while reiterating the Yes camp’s common refrain that a ‘No’ win could pave the way to more “pastimes” being eradicated.

“We call for a ‘yes’ vote in favour of respect and tolerance,” Grima said.