Visit Malta? Not Bloody Likely…
By Charlie • September 21, 2006 • 6 commentsThinking about where to go on your holidays next year? Thinking about the Mediterranean islands that make up Malta perhaps?
If you are, I’d really appreciate it if you thought again.
For many environmentally-aware tourists (particularly those of us with binoculars permanently round their necks) the Mediterranean islands that make up Malta are well-known for all the wrong reasons: for migratory birds Malta is part of the southern European "killing-fields" where the slaughter of everything from gulls (shot from speedboats) to bee-eaters to sparrows continues as if the 20th Century (let alone the 21st) never happened.
Hunting, including trapping, is allowed on about 160 Sq. Km. of the Maltese islands and - staggeringly - there about 12,000 shooters and 3,000 trappers swaggering around the archipelago (which translates as some 75 "sportsmen" per square kilometer of huntable land). Some estimates of birds killed annually on Malta by these thugs ‘hunters’ (brave men who have been known to shoot cage-birds when they’ve run out of exhausted migrants to kill) put the full toll at roughly two million birds, including up to 300,000 Song Thrushes, 200,000 Turtle Doves, 100,000 Robins, 50,000 Skylarks, 40,000 Swifts, swallows and House Martins, 8,000 Nightjars and 5,000 Marsh Harriers. Thousands more songbirds, especially finches, are caught for the caged bird trade.
According to BirdLife Malta:
- Only about 20 species of birds manage to breed regularly in Malta.
- Not a single bird of prey (or owl) breeds in Malta. Any pair that attempts to breed is shot.
- Finches, such as Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Serin and Linnet, very rarely nest in Malta. All the finches that try to set up residence in Malta are caught by the bird trappers.
To prove just how bad all this is, I found the following on the BirdLife Malta website, which was posted on the 9th September 2006:
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"Rampant Illegal Hunting: Law enforcement hits new low as migration goes in full swing.
BirdLife Malta today called on the Commissioner of Police to take drastic action and put a check on the rampant illegal hunting occurring throughout the countryside, as bird migration goes in full swing. Illegal hunting reports flooded BirdLife Malta offices in the past three days as herons and birds of prey reached the islands on their way to Africa. Night Herons (Kwakk) and Grey Herons (Irsieset Grizi - Russett Griz)) were reported shot in areas like Ta’ Qali, Siggiewi and Pwales as inclement weather struck the islands and flocks of herons searched for a resting place. Birds of prey including Marsh Harriers (Baghdan Ahmar), Honey Buzzards (Kuccard) and Falcons (Isqra) were reported shot in various areas including Girgenti, Tas-Salib, Siggiewi, Dingli, Delimara and also in Gozo. On Monday afternoon, a flock of 14 Honey Buzzards was decimated in Girgenti, Tas-Salib and other areas surrounding Buskett as they came in low from the sea to search for a resting place. On Tuesday, 60 Marsh Harriers came under fire from the same areas. A bird watcher saw at least 10 of them fall in the barrage, and estimated the rest faced the same fate by dusk in the surrounding areas of Siggiewi, Lapsi, Zurrieq, and other areas around Buskett. Volleys of shots were heard as soon as the birds descended to lower altitudes, making them vulnerable to repeater shotguns firing more than the permitted three cartridges at the protected birds. Illegal hunting was also reported from the Mizieb area - managed by the FKNK, and one observer said that "dozens of shots were fired from Mizieb towards Marsh Harriers on Tuesday afternoon". On Monday the same observer witnessed a Kestrel (Spanjulett) being shot down and shooting at Grey Herons also from the Mizieb area. Police presence in the field has been scanty, with an ALE patrol reportedly making a single appearance in the Buskett area daily in the afternoon, but no more. "The law enforcement has deteriorated incredibly and this explains why the illegal hunting is so rampant" said Joseph Mangion, President of BirdLife Malta. "Currently it is almost as bad as the 1980’s when the massacre of 40 Honey Buzzards in one afternoon was not unheard of!" BirdLife Malta has been calling incessantly on the Commissioner of Police to increase law enforcement efforts and resources in view of the illegal hunting situation. BirdLife Malta is also calling for hunting to stop in September in the afternoon, in order to give a better chance for birds of prey to reach the islands and find a resting place. Buskett is a staging post for Honey Buzzards, Marsh Harriers and other birds, making the reserve an important bird area at EU level under the Birds Directive." |
To my continuing amazement Malta does though have a tourist industry: in fact about half the jobs in the archipelago are connected directly or indirectly to tourism. That means an awful lot of people are helping support this slaughter by propping up the economy. Where - when all’s said and done - is the incentive for the Maltese to change their shameful ways if the money keeps pouring in?
Having said all that, I am however more than willing to admit that my jaundiced opinion that everyone on these blood-soaked little rocks view wildlife as something to be exterminated is wrong - and for that I’m grateful for an email from Annalise Falzon, a representative of one of the local environmental NGOs "Nature Trust".
Annalise, an Environmental Educator as well as a Nature Tours guide for Nature Trust (who have been holding nature walks and educational talks for members and for the public for several years) wanted us to draw attention to the horrible "Mediterraneo" dolphinarium on Malta, where imported Cuban-caught dolphins live short lives in awful conditions and without any welfare laws whatsoever. I’m happy to do so, and I almost feel guilty for the tirade that prefaces this - but only ‘almost’…
Nature Trust and other NGOs work tirelessly to protect the Maltese environment, from forcing the Maltese Government to implement bird protection laws their EU membership obliges them to enact to trying to stop ill-thought out ‘tourist developments’ in stunnning areas like Ta’ cenc on Gozo (for a petition please go to http://www.savetacenc.com/savetacenc/index.asp
Regularly threatened by the ‘gentlemen’ of the hunting fraternity and rolled over by powerful construction lobbyists, the few environmentalists in Malta deserve our full support. If you - or someone you know - is still determined to visit Malta at some point, why not make an effort to contact them before you go and support their uphill but tireless efforts.
Or better still, cancel your holiday there and write to the Maltese Tourism Authority at info@visitmalta.com explaining why…
• DO YOU BRAKE FOR BIRDS? Get your bumper sticker today! •
I have noticed that your article (dated September 21, 2006) is a little unfair. I think it a little extreme to boycott an island simply because some irresponsible, shotgun wielding @rseh0les mar our image and reputation. And frankly I don’t see how targeting our economy will help. It’s true, hunting dates back to the days of the Knights of the Order of St. John. Hunting was very popular with the knights themselves, maybe that is one of the reasons why its roots here are strong. But you are mistaken if you think that the Maltese as a whole embrace these irresponsible hunters. There are about as much anti-hunting campaigners and lobbyists opposing them.
You must not forget all the local environmentalists here. What of all the local bird lovers and environmental NGOs (namely Birdlife Malta and Nature Trust) who pressure the Maltese government and work selflessly to put an end to this absurd ‘tradition’? And let me tell you that they suffered a great number of misfortunes as a result of their important work. But their effort was far from fruitless. Ask them!
I’m sure they all agree that almost two years after your article things have changed for the better. As of this year hunting and trapping has been halted. Obviously we’d rather is was stopped permanently but maybe the goverment and the police are presently monitoring and studying the hunters’ reaction, which has been far from pleasant! Environmental NGOs have been subjected to numerous threats and suffered many acts of vandalism on their cars and property. The Police’s ALE units have also pulled their socks up; their squad has been strengthened and they have been enforcing the law rather zealosly. Of course there is always room for improvement but everyone is working at it and I am proud of them. This is the first spring ever which was more or less unhampered by shotgun blasts (save for the odd clandestine hunter). Yes, this year the hunter has become the hunted!
A big THANK YOU to all concerned for your undying effort! Keep up the good fight…
I definetely agree with the previous correspondent. It is true that illegal hunting is rampant on our Island but it is also true that there are many Maltese, not nesaccarily environmentalists, who are very much against illegal hunting and would only be too happy if the hunters should stop killing birds illegally. Most of these people are directly or indirectly connected to tourism and i dont find it fair that the whole Island is boycotted because of a few cowboys who after all are only a farction of malta’s population.
Thanks for taking the time to mail in and comment. If I may just take a moment to respond:
I do of course recognise the efforts made by environmentalists and ecologists in Malta, efforts made under the most extreme circumstances. Some have literally risked their health and well-being standing up to the thugs who so besmirch Malta’s reputation. What I have never understood, though, is IF there are so many people on Malta opposed to hunting WHY nothing wasn’t done earlier. It’s taken innumerable articles and posts (I guess like this one) from concerned people OUTSIDE Malta to raise awareness of the problem - and what change there is has come about mostly because groups like the RSPB have endlessly reminded the Maltese Government that under EU laws it is illegal to kill migrant birds in the spring, and the EU has in turn threatened sanctions and fines.
I don’t doubt the sincerity of some people on Malta to see such pointless and illegal hunting stopped, but isn’t there a link between the raised voices NOW and birders/bloggers/journalists etc asking for a boycott of the island and thus potentially hitting Malta’s tourism business where it hurts? If the correspondents here and on fora/media all over Europe turned their attention to ensuring the “few cowboys” with guns stopped ruining it for everyone instead of complaining how hard done-by they are, surely such calls for boycotts would soon become history?
I think I have an answer to that question Charlie, it’s quite simple really. Neither the government nor the opposition had the b@lls to take any measures against hunting, be it illegal or otherwise. The penalties handed out by the courts for illegal hunting were just a bad joke. Both parties feared that they would lose out on the hunters’ precious votes if they opposed hunting in any way. Unfortunately that’s all our politicians seem to care about here, it’s all about votes!
Things started to change after Malta joined the EU in May 2005. The government would, very conveniently, blame the EU for the restrictions that started to be imposed. In fact these restrictions were only enforced, as you said, after the EU threatened Malta with some hefty fines. And knowing these fines would ultimately come out of their pockets, the Maltese taxpayers weren’t too pleased…
Now at last the situation seems to be under control, so far! To be honest it sounds a little too good to be true so I am awaiting the month of September to see if the ban is lifted or if there are any amendments whatsoever. We’ll just have to wait and see.
IF YOU DECIDE TO BOYCOTT MALTA, YOU WILL NEVER DISCOVER THE TRUTH BEHIND THESE ALLEGATIONS. THIS AUTOMATICALLY MAKES YOU A GULLIBLE FOOL. BELIEVING ALL THAT PEOPLE WHO DO NOT TOLERATE HUNTING HAVE TO SAY AGAINST HUNTING MAKES YOU AN EVEN BIGGER FOOL.
SO UNLESS YOU SEE FOR YOURSELF WHETHER THESE ALLEGATIONS ARE REALISTIC AND NOT INTENTIONALLY INFLATED, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO COMMENT AS YOU HAVE IN YOUR ARTICLE.
THE BIRDS THAT REGULARLY BREED IN MALTA, STILL DO SO UNMOLESTED. HUNTERS ONLY SHOOT LEGAL GAME. IT IS THE FEW ILLEGAL HUNTER THAT SHOOTS AT PROTECTED SPECIES.
THIS YEAR 24 PROTECTED BIRDS WERE REPORTEDLY SHOT. A SAD FACT ALL LAW ABIDING HUNTERS CONDEMN. BUT PLEASE CONSIDER WHAT THE 12,000 HUNTERS YOU SO WRONGLY ACCUSE WOULD BE CAPABLE OF SHOOTING IF ILLEGAL HUNTING WAS AS RAMPANT AS YOU STATE.
COME AND SEE FOR YOURSELF IF YOU WANT YOUR COMMENTS TO BE CREDIBLE.
Oh dear my shouting pal - you’ve obviously been in the sun too long because I can point you to numerous reports that back up exactly what I say (try http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/09/13/eamalta113.xml) and I have spoken to people who have been over to Malta - both to conservationists and to holiday-makers who had no idea they were entering some sort of avian shooting-gallery and were stunned to watch dead birds drop out of the sky in front of them.
I indeed plan to come to Malta. Hopefully we won’t be meeting up when I do as you seem like a rather rude individual…