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I would like to comment on the “For and Against Spring Hunting” article, published in your newspaper on 5 March, particularly on the “for” bit, as written by Mr Lino Farrugia.
Mr Farrugia writes about the human species in very general terms, so I think I should put correct some of his inaccuracies.
Although I am probably descended from the same apes as Mr Farrugia, my hunting instinct has never been to kill and maim defenceless and beautiful small animals and birds. Also, I can very honestly say, that neither as a kid, nor as an adult, have I ever felt the urge to capture and kill wild birds and animals.
Mr Farrugia mentions a long and poetic list of the perceived benefits of hunting. Being alone, observing wildlife, witnessing sunrise, meeting an animal on its own turf (do birds graze?) reminds me of my Maltese poetry lessons when I was a kid. All activities I am highly in favour of, incidentally. What Mr Farrugia fails to mention is that little birds on long, long journeys get pumped full of lead and fall to the earth as small pieces of bloody pulp.
If it is really about satisfying the hunting instinct, and being close to nature, there are a number of wholly satisfying sports that I could suggest to Mr Farrugia. Skeet shooting – a sport I love myself – involves gun toting machismo, competition, accuracy, reflexes, the pleasure of a “kill” – without any animals getting hurt in the process. If you want a live target try paintballing… this can easily be organised in wild countryside, to the lovely backdrop of a sunrise, and yet again, without harming wildlife. And, if you really need to kill something to be happy, I suggest an open season on hunters, one-to-one competition with nobody at an unfair disadvantage (ever seen any of our protected birds dive-bombing a hunter?)
So Mr Farrugia, the so called sportsmen who enjoy ending the worthless lives of our wild species have a right at law to have their pastimes defended. You forget the rights of the other 90% of the Maltese population to enjoy wildlife, and the large areas of countryside cordoned off for the exclusive use of you guys. I find your definition of a law as a defence of tradition to be a bit naive. Laws are enacted and changed to reflect the will of the majority. The death penalty was abolished because it is barbaric, even though traditional. Similarly, I denounce your sport as barbaric, and call upon our lawmakers, and those in the greater community of the EU that we form part of, to put an end to the reckless killing of defenceless wild animals.
Dave Alan Caruana
Sliema
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