Karl Schembri

Labour MP Joe Abela claimed in Parliament on Monday that, judging by the way hunters were being trampled upon by the police, the message given to society was that it was better to cultivate drugs than to go hunting.
Attacking judge Joe Galea Debono and claiming he was bowing down to government and EU pressure in persecuting hunters, Abela alleged the judge could not deliver fair judgement against a hunter charged with killing a protected bird because he had already pronounced himself against him.
Galea Debono is himself a former trapper.
Abela also attacked BirdLife for distributing a leaflet with EU funds to incite people against hunters.
“I have never shot a gun in my life and I sympathise a lot with the birds… but I represent the people of my district, some of whom are hunters… we’re in a situation whereby lies are being spread into people’s houses… publicly funded, because EU funds are public funds… to incite people,” Abela said.
“It’s not fair we tarnish the images of hunters and treat them as non-entities. Their rights are being trampled upon. Today it is almost better to have a field sown with cannabis than to go with the shotgun in your own field. Why? Because we have cannabis available all over the country, you can acquire it anyway you like, whenever you want and from whoever you want, but if you go with the shotgun in your field, then no, then you have to face the special forces. We come with the special forces for you, and all the ensuing persecution. And their rights seem nonexistent.”
Abela referred a certain Karl Bugeja, who stands accused before Judge Galea Debono of shooting an egret – a protected species.
“How could it be, before the witnesses are even heard, before the case is concluded, the judge tells the accused to either retreat from the case or have his fine doubled? … This case is prejudiced. How could he not lose this case, I say? Is it possible that the judiciary is also bowing down to what the government wants? And this not because the government loves birds, but because that’s what it is being told from Brussels. Simple. And what kind of democracy is this if the rights of 16,000… we’ve put them into a situation where they can hunt for nothing? That’s the truth. Which other countries does so? … Nowhere. We’re the virgins! We have become the virgins! We’ve ended up so subservient to Brussels that we have to lick every regulation and become more virgins than them. Come on! Come on!”
Contacted yesterday, Environment Minister George Pullicino referred to Labour Deputy Leader Michael Falzon’s secret meeting with hunters and trappers last October.
“Incredible as Joe Abela’s speech may sound, I am not that surprised Labour is speaking in this way,” Pullicino said. “Labour had said they would ‘stop the police bullying (naqtgħu n-nejk tal-pulizija)’ in their meeting with hunters. So while we get criticised by environmentalists for not enforcing the hunting laws enough, Labour just says they will remove the enforcement altogether.”