Sunday, October 6, 2002
< Hunter-appeasement policy >
Birdlife Malta yesterday said it feared there would be a very strong
international reaction following the package government had negotiated with
EU,
which allows bird hunting in the spring.
BirdLife said it had always discouraged mass campaigns or tourist boycotts
in
protest at the local bird-killing situation, even though it had no control
over
them. It anticipated there could be pressure, particularly from EU countries
where hunting in spring was unacceptable.
In a strongly-worded statement, BirdLife accused the main political parties
for
not having the courage "to face and control the hunting problem in Malta".
BirdLife said "it was disgusted at the way this problem has been left to
grow to
such an extent that it is today shaming our country and its people in front
of
other countries."
Condemning the agreement reached between the government and the EU, BirdLife
"categorically denounced" that it was involved in such an agreement.
"It is an insult to our nation's pride that the Maltese government is
boasting
that Maltese hunters will be the only people in Europe 'privileged' to kill
birds during the breeding season," BirdLife said.
It challenged the government to uphold its promise to take law enforcement
seriously. "Law infringement will not be solved unless a permanent
environmental
law enforcement unit is set up, a step that Government has so far refused
even
to consider," BirdLife said.
Reacting to statements that shooting at sea was a Maltese tradition,
BirdLife
said such type of shooting was a fad that started in the Eighties "and has
since
grown out of control. Incidents such as the killing of mute swans at
Marsascala
last January happen continually off shore and far from the public eye,"
BirdLife
said.
BirdLife said the Malta Labour Party had not shown any environmental
commitment
in recent years. "It is sad to observe that the very same party which
created
the 1980 bird protection regulations has long since discarded its
environmental
initiative in favour of a hunter-appeasement policy," BirdLife said.
It accused the MLP of a total lack of environmental principle saying the
party
was simply using the present situation to attract the support of disgruntled
hunters.
BirdLife challenged the MLP "to clean up its environmental act and embark on
a
policy of genuine environment protection."
___________________________________________
This article may also be viewed at
http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=110194
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