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January 28, 2015 at 7:58am
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It’s good to emphasise that what should be abolished is SPRING hunting, not all hunting. One may have a clear idea of whether hunting in itself is acceptable, but the referendum is about spring hunting alone.
And not any given 21 days but the crucial 21 days.
They can use this time to go bird watching instead of ridding the whole country with pellets.
what has rabbit season to do with turtle doves and quails? this is so funny. turtle doves and quails migrate in September and April-May. what’s the point of having hunting season for turtle doves and quails opened all year round when they are only seen during the mentioned months??
How many actually hunt in December? And hunting of birds and rabbit is a different thing. Rabbits are actually a pest when it comes to agricultural land.
Yes, every animal in the wild is a pest for some people. We should rid the country of rabbits, hedgehogs, snakes, birds and so on. We should ruin the natural food chain and replace it with pesticides and chemicals.
Well said – some people think they have a right to ruin everything for others. Just because they hold a gun in their hands and shoot at every blinking thing that moves doesn’t make them men.
Daphne, can I please put my 2 cents worth about this, without calling a press conference at the Auberge de Castille with Maltese and EU flags and disturbing the journalists in this cold weather?
Just trying to put some sense in this. I am calling on the No campaigners to bring more convincing arguments, and so far I have not seen one coming.
It is true that hunters are allowed to hunt from 1 September to 31 January each year: that is 150 days. But do turtle doves and quails migrate over Malta throughout that period? No. Turtle dove migrates for a short period in September and in small numbers. Quail migrates in very small numbers over Malta.
The truth is that hunters are in the fields mostly from 1 September to end of November. They find little reason to be in the fields in December and January. It is usually people who work in their own fields who hunt through December and January, because they are out on the fields anyway.
My opinion is that the autumn season is too long, and unnecessarily so. I think that its closure at the beginning of December could be appropriate. This would give to the conservationists 60 days which now “belong” to the hunters. Now let me hear the reaction of the conservationists to that. They will probably say that such a measure would be useless, because there are no birds during those 60 days. Exactly the point of the hunters.
The spring has 90 days. Hunters are allowed to hunt in only 21 days. That means that the conservationists have most of the spring for themselves, and for the birds.
The 21 days represent a limited and controlled opening of the hunting season – otherwise the EU would have taken Malta back to the European Court of Justice.
Rephrasing what the ECJ said in its judgement in The Commission vs Malta, the directive about birds seeks to strike a balance between conservation and “certain leisure activities,” in this case with reference to hunting.
The ECJ noted that it is not the presence of the birds which counts in order to strike the balance with the hunters, but the quantities of the birds available in the autumn in order to be satisfied that hunters have taken a fair deal.
The evidence brought by the Commission in the case did not prove to the court that autumn was a satisfactory alternative for the hunting of turtle doves and quail. Here we are talking about a few weeks in September in the case of turtle dove. There are practically no turtle doves at all in the remaining period of 150 days.
I liked the opinion of the ECJ in the court case. It is available here. I suggest this should be shared too.
http://curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document.jsf?text=&docid=78182&pageIndex=0&doclang=en&mode=lst&dir=&occ=first&part=1&cid=391953
In my opinion, the real issue is whether one approves of hunting at all, or whether hunting should be stopped altogether. I am personally against hunting, so I find the argument that one must block it selectively in spring as pointless, unless this is the beginning of something else. I rather suspect that it is in fact the latter, in which case I feel that I am not being told the truth anyway, so I am personally against the No campaign.
Would hunters approve of a moratorium instead, to give turtle dove and quail enough time to reach sustainable numbers? Let’s say a 5 year moratorium with no hunting, followed by hunting all year round the following years?
Thought not.
I think not (not “thought not”).
But where does the argument that turtle dove and quail need “to reach sustainable numbers” come from?
In The Commission vs Malta, the ECJ noted that:
“Finally, it is not apparent from the documents in the case that the population of the two species of bird hunted is below a satisfactory level. It is apparent, in particular, from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species that the species in question are listed in the ‘least concern’ category.”
The IUCN is the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Are we saying that the ECJ was negligent in its study of the case?
So we wait until they are in danger of extinction before we act? I don’t think so.
Yes, they are listed in the “least concern” category, but perhaps you’ll notice that the list is found in the RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES (apologies for the caps, but this cannot be stressed enough).
So let me explain this to you, if it needs explaining.
There you have a red list (red generally signifies alarm) of threatened species, and turtle dove and quail are perhaps near or at the bottom of the list.
Any person who comprehends the English language will understand that they still remain threatened species (in a red list, none the less).
“I’m personally against hunting” but “I am personally against the No campaign.”
This would be typical Orwellian Doublethink, unless of course, ciccio means that he disagrees with the way the No campaign is being conducted, but will vote NO anyway, in accordance with his first statement.
If the No campaign sees the killing of birds a problem, then they should have proposed a referendum to abolish hunting in Malta.
From 266/365=73% down to 245/365=67%, a mere 6% reduction and all in aid of allowing bird stocks the chance to propagate and generate more stock to hunt. The birds remain the sole victims.
Vote NO!
Not related to this at all, but this is probably the best coverage of the suppression of the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong I’ve seen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wXUulAG5z4
I live in zejtun , in the valley , the hunters do not stop all year round , I have lead falling in my garden and on my roof , from the roof it ends up on my 3 wells and it is poisoning us slowly , sorry but they should ban it altogether. We should have a vote .
And this.
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/48983/your_hobbies_are_safe__lawyers_interpret_the_spring_hunting_referendum_for_the_public#.VMjxjtLF9mM
Environmentalist Michael ‘Busietta Gardens’ Falzon throws in his opinion on Busuttil’s Yes vote in the referendum.
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/comment/blogs/48872/simons_choice_on_hunting#.VMj0I9LF-So
And he has the EFFRONTERY to call him “Simon”. We’re buddies with the Kap, wouldn’t you know.
Let me reply in kind: MUR TNEJJEK, MICHAEL.
I am perfectly in sync with Michael Falzon’s theory and have said more or less the same thing some days back.
I think it would be fair to argue the case not the person.
http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2015/01/the-role-model-aspect/
No. He got that article published because of who he is, not what he says (he talks bilge and writes bilge). He should enjoy his money and shut up. Malta has enough columnists. We don’t need another rich conniving bastard sharing his views.
I am still in perfect sync with what he said.
Let’s say perhaps he does have a bit more political experience than yourself.
I thought there were only an autumn and spring season, with the autumn season only a week long. Why does this picture show something very different?
Is spring the only time of the year that specific birds pass over Malta?
What other birds can be shot/are shot?
As mentioned in the graphic, autumn/winter hunting happens from September to January.
The birds which can be shot at in the autumn season are the following 41, while not all of them may migrate over Malta every year, hunters are allowed to shoot as many as they want… this happens particularly with starlings. Some of these birds are also allowed to be shot from the sea.
Bean Goose
Canada Goose
Common Pochard
Eurasian Teal
Eurasian Wigeon
Gadwall
Garganey
Greylag Goose
Mallard
Pintail
Red-breasted Merganser
Shoveler
Tufted Duck
Common Pheasant
Common Quail
Grey Patridge
Irish Red Grouse
Red Grouse
Red-legged Patridge
Rock Patridge
Rock Ptarmigan
Coot
Moorhen
Water Rail
Common Snipe
European Golden Plover
Grey Plover
Jack Snipe
Lapwing
Ruff
Woodcock
Rock Dove
Turtle Dove
Wood Pigeon
Blackbird
Fieldfare
Mistle Thrush
Redwing
Skylark
Song Thrush
Starling
And when we’re in the mood of adynata, pigs.
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2015-01-28/blogs-opinions/Doing-it-at-sixteen-6736129603
I know I am totally out of subject but the appalling use of language in this article is fascinating. Where else would you find the words “cahoots” and “bamboozle” used totally out of context? A real find.
They should ban hunting all around. We’re in 2015 and some people (total ignorant), still think it’s cool to kill things.
Hunting is a hobby. So why don’t women hunt? And why don’t men crochet? Crochet is a hobby too. This might be a bit sexist, but please read on.
That’s nature.
Men don’t crochet and women don’t hunt.
Since then, things have evolved. Women don’t just take care of the den.
In this day and age, it is absolutely necessary for women to work and bring home the bacon as much as (if not more than) the men.
Now I am sure that women have as many hobbies as men have. So why is it that only most of the women I know give up their hobbies to care for their husbands, partners, boyfriends, kids, extended family etc?
If women were to hunt, how many men would accept: ‘Isma sahib tieghi, issa zmien il-kacca. Jiena sejra nispara ghal xi gammiema jew xi summiena. Hu hsieb l-ikel, l-art, il-platti, u meta nigi ara li l-platt ikun shun. U tinsix il-homework tat-tfal. Il-lejla, ghandi five-aside ma’ tax-xoghol. Narak xi l-hdax u nofs ta. Ara li jkun lest it-te.’
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THIS IS THE LIFE MOST OF THE HUNTERS’ WIVES, PARTNERS, GIRLFRIENDS, ETC. LIVE.
Now, I am sure that most of the hunters’ wives, partners, girlfriends, etc. love their husbands, partners, boyfriends, etc. and can’t stand being left alone for all that time. So I have no doubt that, with a bit of persuasion, they would vote against spring hunting, so that their husbands, partners, boyfriends, etc., would spend more quality time with their, wives, partners, girlfriends, kids, etc.
THE NO CAMPAIGN SHOULD TAKE NOTE AND TARGET THIS SECTION OF THE POPULATION.
Hmm, could easily backfire, especially if they reckon they’re well shot of their husband.