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From The Malta Independent November 04, 2001
How true are the Hunters' warnings?
The Federation of Hunting and Conservation in Malta is worried that its aims will be endangered as a result of Malta's membership
of the European Union (EU). They are right in this, because at present, it is the birds who are in constant danger.
Long before the EU intervened in Italy the hunting laws in Germany were always very strict: Hunters have to be licensed
at a considerable cost and consequently only the very well-to-do can afford such a licence. Hunting is allowed only on private
or national areas under the very controlled supervision of officers of the Forestry Department. Hunting of three types of
birds, namely partridges, wild ducks and pheasants is allowed only during season. Besides this, they can shoot deer, rabbits
and hares.
For those who like shooting as a sport, there are numerous associations and clubs which use clay pigeons
as targets. This is done by a majority of shooting enthusiasts and no licence is needed.(The rifles are kept at the club houses).
But here, the shooting at birds, both migratory and protected, is not a sport at all. And Prof. Sielmann, who is
very well known in Germany, is rightly horrified with the so many empty cartridges lying around in Maltas beautiful countryside.
Officials of the Federation of Hunting and Conservation deny this, but I myself have seen them in large numbers.
The
second word in the federation puzzles me: Conservation. Does this mean the conservation of an archaic tradition of the indiscriminate
cruel shooting of birds? If this is the case then some people are living in the stone age.
Michael Alexander
TA' XBIEX
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