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There is increasing consensus among health experts, including some from the World Health Organisation and the EU, that migratory birds, mainly waterfowl and birds of prey, are important carriers of avian flu. Taiwan, for example, has quite a while ago taken measures to prevent migratory birds from intermingling with poultry, and the Indian Council for Medical Research has categorically stated that migratory birds constitute a global threat.
Last week Croatia banned hunting and now Italy is seriously considering taking the same steps following a suspect case on the island of Chios in Greece, which was largely taken as empirical proof that migratory birds are the prime vector for spread of the disease. In various parts of the world such as China and Russia, the deadly H5N1 influenza virus strain has been detected in gulls, cormorants and even peregrine falcons. Local hunting associations and lobbies may argue that quail and dove – theoretically the only birds which hunters in Malta are allowed to shoot – are not considered species at risk. However, it is a well-known fact that the illegal shooting of waterfowl and birds of prey is pervasive and largely unchecked. It therefore comes as a foregone conclusion that such hunters are not only exposing themselves and their families to a greater risk, but also the rest of the community.
With Malta located on one of the main bird migration routes between Africa and Europe, and home to a disproportionately high number of hunters and trappers, it would be prudent for government and the local health authorities not to underestimate these risks, and to take the necessary precautions, even if that could mean a total ban on hunting, at least for as long as the threat lasts.
Alex Borg
St Julians
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