Migrating flamingos – September 2017 – Photo by Mr. Patrick Spiteri

We could all agree that some amazing photos featuring migrating birds have been taken over the past few days. Nonetheless, most of all heard about the flamingo that was unfortunately shot by a poacher and killed. What a stupid and foolish act!

Here are my two cents worth about this;

1. A hunter that shoots a flamingo, or any other protected bird, is not a hunter but a criminal,
2. Thousands of birds have migrated safely over the islands…few environmentalists said a word about this on the media.
3. Just because there are a couple of morons who insist on being poachers (please do make a distinction between hunters and poachers), it doesn’t mean that all the rest are morons. I don’t like hunting, however, there are other local sports which leave a negative impact on the environment.
4. I might not have been popular by holding this stance, but I am still of the opinion that extremists happen in all the spheres of life…even in the environment sectors.
5. Other EU countries allow hunting and with less restrictions than those we have in Malta.
6. Showing off shot/killed/injured birds will not get us anywhere. It will just create a greater divide…which again, never led us anywhere.
7. Just try for a second and compare legal hunting to driving…just because there a few hooligans driving and threatening people’s lives, it doesn’t mean that the government ought to ban driving to avoid more people from dying as a consequence of traffic accidents.
8. Over the past few years, migration seasons have been spectacular. How many journalists have boasted about this on international press? Bad publicity is bad publicity and it’s not just on the hunters but on all Maltese people
9. Enforcement, education and co-operation are always the key for the successful implementation of any sound policy…if anyone has information about how or who shot the protected birds, they must report…obviously there are slim chances this will happen…the reason…Omerta!
10. Last but not least, we should divert our efforts in conserving habitats. If we keep building every damn patch of land, birds will simply fly over as there is no scope in stopping here! Pity we can offer very little to these birds. They need trees, and roosting sites (i.e. agricultural/natural landscapes)