‘Hunters not fooling anyone’, BirdLife reaction to Commission report

BirdLife says FKNK downplaying extent of illegal hunting in Malta when it claims illegal hunting is limited to a ‘handful of poachers’.

11 November 2010, 12:00am
by Matthew Vella

1 min read

BirdLife said it continues to receive numerous shot protected birds and witnesses illegalities committed on a daily basis in widespread locations throughout the islands.

“Protected species ranging from Barn Swallows (Huttafa), common migrants for Malta, to Lesser Spotted Eagles (Ajkla tat-tikek), rare migrants for Malta, have been witnessed targeted by illegal hunters over this autumn migration season,” campaigns coordinator Geoffrey Saliba said.

The FKNK yesterday submitted a report to the European Commission claiming the safe passage of migratory birds had improved.

“The FKNK apparently refuses to acknowledge the seriousness of this situation and claims that the ‘situation has improved considerably’. We have yet to see evidence of this as only the recent cases of a German-ringed Osprey (Arpa), a Finnish-ringed Common Kestrel (Spanjulett), Spoonbills (Paletta), Black Storks (Cikonja Sewda) and a Short-toed Eagle (Ajkla Bajda) being shot at and killed within hours of their arrival to Malta, confirm.”

BirdLife Malta reiterated its position that a wildlife crime unit should be established and fines for repeat offenders should be increased to a level that acts as a serious deterrent.

Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...

•

I'd say its rather Birdlife Malta that's not fooling anyone any more. @ BLM extremism is finally proving your own downfall. You had a fall back position (dialogue with hunters and trappers and workable proposals) yet you opted for rigid one way traffic options and now your credibility is down the drain. Pumping figures, bombastic pr'ing, highlighting each incident, tarnishing each and every one, damage to our tourist industry, persistently resorting to unsustained claims,insitgating legal action by the EU commission, colluding with foreign radicals, the list goes on ad eternum. As local focus is shifted to the current dire financial situation, you'll be evermore wandering on your own in an empty forum which takes your claims for the lump of salt they're worth. In the wake of further austerity measures, your funds will acquire an inherent new meaning; with the common man in the street starting to consider these funds as ill spent on some birding campaign instead of improving on his hardships. People are simply fed up now and ignoring you, later on it will become direct oppostion to your current radicalism! If you don't believe me do your own homework. Check online comments on local and not so local media outlets and enjoy the shift in perception. You might also wish to check which news items are presently getting popular attention and those that are side-lined evermore. People (and that also includes hunters like me) were supportive of your actions to curb illegal shooting of protected birds. People now ( and that also includes me) have seen through the guise and can't understand why our core traditions (turtle doves and quail hunting in spring and finch trapping) have to make way to extremist ideologies. Take a serious hint, go back to your roots, learn the meaning of flexibility consider what the local migratory peculiarities and what our cultural foundations are and then start rebuilding. Consider hunters and their genuine interests as an integral part of the equation and presto you have a chance of regaining your credibility. Until then, you may also wish to keep on digging deeper!