It's time for a real change
Tina Hahl - Stuttgart
May 17, 2002 9:00:00 AM CET
Click on the link to read the full article
http://www.independent.com.mt/daily/lettersview.asp?id=2164
It?s time for a real change
I don?t know how many times the media in Malta will have to print letters
expressing outrage at illegal activities by so-called hunters and
conservationists. There are massacres of protected species that, shamefully,
have been eagerly supported through the years by politicians from both major
parties.
It is a disgrace that any government actively participates in the
extermination of international nature heritage by courting hunting
federations. This means resources are wasted on curbing the ?sporting
activities? of people that are so sick they cannot tell a game-bird from a
protected species and just shoot at anything that flies.
The appalling reality is that during the migration periods many hunters are
just out to randomly kill, exterminate and destroy.
It definitely feels strange to both foreigners and the majority of Maltese
that a political party in power would not be willing to attach any
importance to protecting the image of the country. But, rather than lose out
on the votes of bird killers, the government allows a bunch of savages to
destroy the cultural heritage of the country and international nature
heritage. It should be considered equally disgraceful for a government to
witness its citizens having to resort to NGOs or the one environmentally
concerned political party to see that the cultural and natural treasures of
Malta are being properly taken care of.
The latest massacre of birds of prey is proof that the agreement between
BirdLife Malta and the Federation for Hunting and Conservation is stuck in a
dead-end and the Environmental Monitoring Board has clearly failed in its
aim.
In the face of the latest wholesale slaughter of migratory birds, BirdLife?s
statement that EU Commissioner Wallstrom?s position to grant no transition
periods for the transposition and implementation of EU legislation on nature
protection was ?absolute? and ?verging on the arrogant?, and that she was
?underestimating the difficulties of the situation? must be considered a
slap in the face for any joint efforts by people lobbying for better
protection of wildlife.
Ironically, the same people that were calling for concessions to be made to
the bird killers are now heading for a complete ban on hunting on the
island. A couple of weeks ago, at a German school in Erfurth, several
teachers, a policeman and two students were massacred by a student who had
been barred from taking his final exams. Instead of banning video games and
films glorifying violence and introducing tougher controls on the possession
of firearms, politicians have been hiding behind the argument that the
media-violence link had not been fully proved and controls on firearms were
already strict enough.
Following the massacre at Erfurth, the German parliament is currently
working on a change in legislation on the possession of firearms.
People all over Europe are sick of politicians? shallow promises and
filibustering on important issues.
It is high time the Maltese
government did something about the senseless massacre of wild birds and
faced up to its responsibilities, for future generations and international
nature heritage.
Tina Hahl
Stuttgart
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david camilleri
http://www.MaltaTouristAction.org
Proact, campaigning for birds and their habitats .... your contribution
DOES make a difference. Join the http://www.proactnow.org/team/
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david camilleri
http://www.MaltaTouristAction.org
Proact, campaigning for birds and their habitats .... your contribution
DOES make a difference. Join the http://www.proactnow.org/team/
http://www.proactnow.org
Discuss at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proactpanel/
Stay infromed http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proactnews/
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