The following text will be sent as email/letter/telefax as appropriate from Proact and the Eurobirders. Those registered with the PROACT team, or who inform me separately, will have their names and country appended to the letter. To join the PROACT team click on the arctic tern below. For those wishing just to support the MALTA campaign with their signature send a mail to: PS. There have been a few queries on the quotes from the EU delegation's report. Click on the link below and on the 'Report' button, then go to 'Chapter 22' (use search box on your browser)for the full details! For individualist hardliners I have included addresses and numbers below. Cut, paste and send ..... but please send a copy to project-malta@proactnow.org |
!NEW! Mail Address (copy to Proact is included - please move to cc. or bcc. box) Cut and paste from here -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x- The Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Joseph Borg Palazzo Parisio Merchants Street Valetta CMR 02 Malta Dear Dr. Borg, As Minister for Foreign Affairs you will be particularly aware of the international concern over the barbaric shooting and trapping of migratory birds. The tolerance of such practices is even less understandable in view of Malta's candidature for the European Union, which has unambiguous directives on the protection of migratory birds and their habitats. Although your country has introduced legislation against this senseless slaughter, its provisions are insufficient and its implementation is half-hearted. Sadly Malta lags well behind European targets in the environmental field. In its last regular report the EU Delegation to Malta wrote: "No legislative progress can be reported concerning nature protection." "Malta is .. a party to the Bern Convention .. but has a reservation and exception under the convention in relation to the hunting season." "With regard to nature protection, most of the Community legislation has to be transposed, in particular the wild birds and the habitat directives." Modern means of communication, not least the internet, have given wide but sad publicity, in Europe and beyond, to the bi-annual bloody scenes of dead and injured migrating birds. To the majority it is beyond comprehension that such practices are still tolerated by a highly educated society, understandably proud of their rich and varied culture, at the start of the 21st century. As a land heavily dependent on foreign tourists, we encourage you to stop and consider the economic penalties which will ultimately make themselves felt, and which can be laid at the door of a vociferous, but small and primitive hunting minority. Whilst normal tourists may be discouraged from visiting Malta, we will actively lobby professional and amateur ornithologists to travel to the islands at the height of the migration season twice a year. If you are unable to solve this problem on your own you can depend on our moral and physical support at these times. We only hope that, as migrants to Malta, that you will take measures to ensure that our passage to and through your islands is lead-free and otherwise environmentally secured. I remain, Yours sincerely, David Conlin and other concerned Eurobirders, ornithologists and nature lovers, named below and representing the following countries:
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x- to here
ADDRESS/CONTACT Fon: +356 242853 Fax: +356 237822
!NEW! Mail Address (copy to Proact is included - please move to cc. or bcc. box) Proact/Birding in Europe © David Conlin 2001
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