A silent spring, at last
In all the years that we have lived in a rural area, rather than in town, our every spring has been marred by the sound of gunfire. From before dawn to dusk and beyond, the sound has echoed through the valley and across the fields. We have been regularly woken at five o’clock, and even the supposedly quietest day of the week has been torn apart by illegal Sunday shooters. We have watched birds of prey circling high overhead while men with guns go mad below. We have picked up small dead bodies from the garden, and we have rarely had the pleasure of listening to birdsong.
This is the first time in all these years that we haven’t heard a single volley as the days get brighter, warmer and longer. Well, there was just the one, but whoever it was must have been moved along pretty sharpish, because there was nothing after that. Except for the very odd few, the shooters appear to be respecting the law, however much they may disagree with it. That in itself speaks volumes about a change in attitude. They may object to the law, but at least they are not out and about defying it, though the violence against members of Birdlife, which is being attributed to shooters, does nothing to help their cause but rather the opposite.
And yes, the ban on shooting in spring does make a difference. I can’t say that the sky is dark with flocks of birds, but when I am in the house with the windows open, it is like being in an aviary. The sound of birdsong is so loud, and there seem to be so many of them. Eventually, with luck – though it will be years before the birds trust us again – we may get to the stage where larger, more impressive birds fly freely about, giving us the chance to look at them. I look back with sadness at the fact that my first-ever encounter with a significant wild bird, at the age of around eight, was with a dead hawk, its carcass blasted open by gun-shot, on a walk through the fields.
Everywhere I walk in the streets, I seem to hear men grumbling loudly about the ban, their supportive wives muttering by their side while privately thanking the powers-that-be that their days as the gun-widows of the neurotically obsessed are over, in spring at least. The grumbling is deliberately loud, so that as many people as possible may hear the rebel with a cause. Look what the government has done to us. This was our sole love and passion and now we have nothing. If I am not allowed to hunt in spring then I will die. I’m seeing a doctor and taking kalmanti. I can’t sleep at night. If a person has a pastime, why deprive him of its pleasure? Hunting is a Maltese tradition and we shouldn’t let Europe interfere. Those birds are ours and I have a right to shoot them if I want to. It’s not as though thousands of birds pass overhead, so what’s all the fuss about? Birds breed like rabbits, so it doesn’t matter if we shoot some of them.
And all I can think of is that the government had to take shelter behind the European Union before firing this one off, and that without EU membership it would never have happened. If only the EU had such jurisdiction over civil rights, too – then we wouldn’t have one government after another falling over itself to appease the most conservative and backward elements of the religious right. But that’s out of the question.
The ban on hunting this spring is but an interim measure, handed down by the European Court of Justice as a stop-gap solution until it takes a decision on the main suit brought against Malta by the European Commission. That suit is expected to be brought to its conclusion within two years. The European Commission didn’t want Maltese shooters and trappers going on a spree and making the most of this spring and the next, so it asked for this interim decision. It got the ban for 2008, on grounds of urgency, but the court said that there is no such urgency where 2009 is concerned, and so a separate request must be made.
It’s sad that our own government didn’t have the guts to suspend shooting and trapping of its own accord, and had to be ordered to do so instead, but there you go. Sometimes it pays to be Pilate.
The European Commission said after the court’s interim judgement was announced: “The decision of the European Court of Justice is quite clear. Spring hunting should not be allowed (in Malta) until the final judgement on the original case instituted by the European Commission against Malta is given. If the European Commission sees that the Maltese government is planning to allow hunting in the spring of 2009, it will decide on whether to apply once again for interim measures. We expect the Maltese authorities to abide by this decision and not to allow spring hunting any longer.”
The government had been served with a written warning last October on the hunting of quail and turtle-doves in spring, but did nothing about it. It would have been ill-advised to do anything about it with an election in the offing, but now that’s in the bag, the government can take the initiative and crack down without waiting to be cracked down on itself.
The problem with so many shooters and trappers here is that they don’t seem to understand that these are not ‘our’ birds simply because they are in our territory. They have no understanding of the fact that the thinking on migratory birds (and they don’t have to be migratory, either) has evolved towards their being part of Europe’s common heritage. It is not just Europe, either, because most of them migrate between Europe and Africa.
When the birds fly over Malta at this time of the year, they are returning to their northern European homes, where they breed, after wintering in Africa. They don’t breed in Africa (which should keep Norman Lowell and his band of merry nutters happy) but in Europe, which means that when they are shot in Malta, they haven’t yet had time to reproduce. Every bird taken out in Malta reduces the population not just by that one bird, but exponentially. This is something else that the shooters and trappers pretend not to understand – or understand and hope that the problem will sort itself out.
On television the other day I heard one trapper argue: but don’t cats catch birds, so why can’t we? Oh baby, we’re supposed to be more civilised than cats. And cats don’t have guns and traps. We really do have a long way to go if hunters see themselves as part and parcel of the animal kingdom, instead of waiting for us to dismiss them as such.
Another man, this time a shooter, was told by his interviewer, Reno Bugeja on TVM’s Dissett, that there are far more people who strenuously object to bird-hunting than there are who are passionate about it. His reply was that this is immaterial, “because hunting came before them.” Bugeja then went to a ‘hanut tat-te’ in Rabat, where he vox-popped some other hunters, all of whom looked suitably depressed and spoke dramatically. “I have nothing left in this life.” “My life is over.” “I am feeding a dog for nothing.” “Everything I love is gone.” “If the government doesn’t put things back the way they were, I’m going to leave Malta.” (Iss! Ar’hemm, hej – that will be one fewer to be getting on with.)
What makes you think you have the right to shoot those birds, when they’re not yours, Bugeja asked. “Of course they’re mine!” the my-life-is-over shooter replied, the black circles round his eyes even bigger than Jason Micallef’s on 9 March. “Yes, those birds are mine because I pay to practise my sport.” Oh, the bliss of illogical thinking.
This article is published in The Malta Independent on Sunday today.
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D, I’m counting the minutes till you’re gonna find yourself virtually lambasted in the hunters’ forum: http://forum.huntinginmalta.org.mt//YaBB.pl?board=general . They did it with all those who dared utter a word leaning slightly against hunting and trapping.
Min hu kapaci jikkarga s-senter u joqtol ghasfur u ma jhoss xejn huwa kapaci wkoll joqtol bniedem kiesah u biered. Kaccatur mhux xihadd li jhobb l-ghasafar, kaccatur huwa xihadd li jiehu gost jispara u joqtol. Ma naghmilx distinzjoni, kif jaghmlu bosta kaccaturi, bejn kaccaturi professjonali – li, nghidu ahna, ma jisparawx fuq ghasafar imharsin mil-ligi – u bejn kaccaturi dilettanti li jisparaw fuq kull haga li titharrek fl-arja. Ghasfur imhares mil-ligi huwa kreatura mahluqa minn Alla daqs ghasfur li mhuwiex. Il-qtil huwa dejjem qtil, u huwa dejjem hazin, isir fuq min isir. La toqtolx filfatt huwa wiehed mill-kmanamenti assoluti.
Your obsession with Norman Lowell continues even when writing about something that has not even got the slightest connection with him.Perhaps there is something you are not telling us or perhaps it is just racial neurosis.
[Moderator – Your obsession with race continues even when writing about something that isn’t connected to it.]
the killing an organism for the sole scope of ‘killing’ is hardly a respectable hobby dear hunter.
Yes, us civilised citizens of a civilised country do not like illogical thinking. Take this as a revenge by the thousands of birds you killed without even collecting from the fields.
My father who grows crops for hobby kept a mini first-aid kit for the tens of birds he found in his field on a daily basis at this time of the year.
But then again he’d rather not have crops he’d been growing for months, destroyed by a disrespecting to find the illegal kill.
The ewros f*****s did their job, and they did it well, as opposed to you, dear hunter.
First they came for the hunters, and I did not speak because I am not a hunter… hehehee, apologies to Pascal, of course.
In any case, most of us won’t be around when they come for the journalists. And by today’s measure of “journalism” it may take more than one lifetime…
I wouldn’t be too sure that the silence you are referring to is because the hunters are not practising their noble hobby: I have heard it from several sources that they are now opting for silencers in order not to have their presence too obvious. Might be true and might be false but the Maltese expression that “il-qazba ma ccaqcaqx ghalxejn” might apply in this case :)
Two or three Sundays ago I watched around thirty ducks flying North beneath the cliff for the first time in my life , I am not in the pro hunting lobby.BUT as Europarl is implying, weren’t we promised a derogation about Spring Hunting? Are promises to be made by politicians and broken by the courts? What will be next in line , taxi drivers, minibus licence holders or property purchasing by foreigners? Rest assured that I am not in favour of spring hunting or monopolies, but I believe that promises are made to be kept, no matter what.The derogation on spring hunting was of permanent nature , I would be more than grateful if hunters impose on themselves the abolition of spring hunting.
Joining the EU marked the beginning of the end for hunting – at least as we know it.
The autumn season will not be abolished but enforcement will get progressively more effective until many hunters will give up and simply stay at home. It might take a few more years but is inevitable now.
Hunting at sea will also be significantly curbed. Enforcement is more difficult but will still be carried out, eventually.
EU membership was essential to obtain these results; this was the most important issue facing the anti-hunting lobby between 1998 and 2003. The referendum had to be won at all costs and I still believe BirdLife was justified in doing all it could – including reaching an ‘agreement’ with hunters – to ensure a positive outcome.
It was important to defuse tension in the period leading to the referendum so as not to push hunters into taking an anti-EU stand. As usual in Malta, “every vote counted” and even an untimely remark by EU Commissioner Wallstrom could have had dire consequences.
At the time there was an outcry against BirdLife and accusations that it was betraying its mission by negotiating with hunters and accepting, for example, that the minimum age for hunting be lowered from 21 to 18.
With hindsight one can see that those ‘environmentalists’ (foremost among them Alternattiva Demokratika, it should be said) who attacked BirdLife for taking a soft approach in those years had no idea of long-term strategy. No wonder AD is in such a mess.
Since my husband owns a Land Rover and a German Pointer a lot of hunters think that he is one of them, which in true fact he is not(actually he hates hunters and what they stand for).
They tend to start boasting about their killings. One particular incident, happened at a HANUT TAT TE`,where this hero was complaining that there was nothing to shoot, so he took out his rage billi beda jispara fuq kull haga li titharrek f`lajru u malart!He nearly shoot his dog was he so frustrated.
So good one EuroF**kers for stopping these morons
Silent Spring just on paper.
A visit to Gozo would prove the opposite. But of course, Gozo is a different republic where abuses of all sorts are rampant and the arms of the law rarely reach it.
A very serious hunting accident that took place at Nadur last week was not even mentioned in any newspaper. Freedom of information is placed by GOLDEN SILENCE in Gozo.
Well done for the authorities in sticking to this golden rule of silence.The abbuses thrown under the carpet are jeopardising the roots democracy. What a shame.
[Moderator – What was the Nadur accident?]
while speaking of the environment, please give us your views about “Uncle Bertie’s” Application for 98 bungalows next to Mellieha Bay Hotel which is ODZ!
In a hunting accident A hunter was himself shot and finished in General Hospital hospital in Gozo after two different doctors refused to shoulder responsabilty.
Anyway “someone” adviced person hit by over 50 pellets to lie to Police authorities,saying that he was hit while having a walk.And all stopped there.
Now ALL GOZITANS know a different story. In fact, the truth is that both persons where hunting. But Gozo is ruled by ‘Devine right’ and thus above the law.
Just a minimum effort by any newspaper or the police authorities would surely find the truth. Who was really behind this cover up is common knowledge in Gozo.
But living under a regime where politicians are above the law such behaviour is an everyday occurence.
Silence is golden in Gozo and WELL REWARDED. Governance, justice and transperancy in Gozo are somehwere at the rear end of …. you know very well where!
‘Judge us on what we do and not what we say” was some one’s battle cry. Indeed, I am and the above is shameful and condemnable, to say the least.
If I may give my views…ma ffangax bizzejjed Uncle Bertie? He is truly despicable. Gawda taht il-lejber. Taht il-PN Gawda iktar. Mark my words, he will get the bungalows. He is an expert at suborning governmnets to his will. His might is absolute. And he smothers, i suspect, literally, anyone in his way. Ma jarahx wicc alla. of that, I am certain
“If only the EU had such jurisdiction over civil rights, too – then we wouldn’t have one government after another falling over itself to appease the most conservative and backward elements of the religious right.” How absolutely right you are. Maltese Governments never had the stomach to do anything about hunting but increase penalties and forget to enforce the law properly. Hunters who had their shotguns confiscated by court order even had their guns returned to them after an executive Presidential pardon at one time. Now Governments are forced by the EU to ban Spring slaughter. But, as you correctly state, the EU is powerless when it comes to civil rights such as divorce or medieval censorship. The EU refuses to take these civil rights under its jurisdiction but then few countries in the EU are anywhere as backward as Malta on this score. And without the EU’s intervention, our spineless Governments will never find the balls to introduce this universally accepted law – divorce. The retrograde Catholic right will continue to oppress the secular liberals with the benediction and connivance of our confessional State. The slim majority with which this Government gained power will surely militate to perpetuate indefinitely the introduction of any law which might even remotely smack of any controversy. The oppression will continue unabated. For the situation to change we need a Government which has two characteristics: (1) secular convictions (2) a strong majority in Parliament. For the foreseeable future, none of these characteristics will be present.
@ Peter Muscat
“Now all Gozitans know a different story. . .”
Well? Why don’t they report it? This is a case of Gozitan omerta’, I’m afraid and no amount of gemgem is going to change the fact that a lot of people are aware of a crime but are unwilling to come forward and denounce it.
I’m sorry to have to say it Mr Muscat but all the rest of your post is just a string of excuses. I think that a “minimum effort” should be made, first of all, by those who claim that this incident is “shameful and condemnable”.
Thanks for your suggestion and inuendoes.
Would you believe me if I TELL YOU I DID you suggested.
Furthere more I contacted TWO newspapers ( Dailes) and gave all detailed information and I am still ‘waiting’ to read ‘something’ to whom ,I handed over on a silver plate all my findings, to the present day.
A collossal effort I did, did not get me any results at all. That is the reason why I am bringing on many forums not just this one.I strongly believe that the general public should know what is going on in Gozo.
When I personally asked the persons who run the newspapers above mentioned on what happened in their investigations, I was told by both, that the response they were both getting was iether “NO Comment” or ” we have a different version and we have nothing more to add “.Even the hospital authorities are declining to ‘say’ anything.
Is this not a condemnable situation?! Or do you want me to make public all I found out myself on the incident on this forum? I’ll certainly give you details, names/ family nick names and the whole truth? Of course, I personally shoulder all responsabilities to what I write.
I am also prepared to send you privately all the information I have in hand and then I leave the final decision in your hands, because i really take your final sentences as an insult to my credibility.
The ball is in your parlour now. You decide and I will act accordingly.
@ Peter Muscat
I thought I had replied before but must have forgotten to click the appropriate key. I’m thereofre repeating my response again, as I remember it.
Yes, you did all you could but my comments referred to Gozitans in general not to you personally (hence: “Why don’t THEY report it?”)