Malta Bird Slaughter!

[carrust]

Interesting article.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/apr/28/britain-plutocrats-landed-gentry-shotgun-owners

[redman41]

Chris Packham is none too pleased carrust, as he was over there filming his
'Massacre on Migration' Series.
He was arrested by the Maltese Police whilst Filming

[carrust]

I read about that redman.

[Tilly2]

I think we should all boycott Malta, as a holiday destination.

[Baldric]

How on Earth has the subsidised shooting of Gamebirds in the UK got anything to do with the shooting of Songbirds in Malta.
Malta does not even get a mention in the article.

[yogi-bear]

It would be your loss tilly as I spend a lot of time working in Malta and it has to be one of the friendliest and nicest islands in Europe........shooting goes on in most countries and this story has just got out of control......hunters are fined heavily if they are caught and even jailed if they are frequent.

[Tilly2]

From the RSPB projects webpage

The large scale shooting and trapping of birds during migration in Malta is well known to conservationists across Europe, and to anyone who has visited the country. During the spring and autumn, thousands of migrating and resident birds are shot indiscriminately.

Stuff Malta and it's friendly people, yogi-bear.

[mazie]

Agree with Tilly heard the report on Radio 4 with the Head of Police...A shambles and a cover up

[Tilly2]

here's another one

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27108910

[Tilly2]

^its!

[yogi-bear]

Youre entitled to your opinion Tilly as I am with mine.......tell me......have you ever been there? And is it just because of this story that you have this reason for stuffing Malta and its people?

Band wagon comes to mind

[Tilly2]

Good morning, yogi-bear.
No, I have never been to Malta and I have no intention of going. If as you believe, I have jumped on a band waggon, then it's a bandwaggon I am happy to be on, along with the other 150,000 people who signed the RSPB petition in 2007.

[carrust]

I have been to Malta & I wont be going back. The only way to stop the killing of wild birds is to boycott the place.

[B00]

Is there a reason other than "'cause they can" that they are doing this?

[dannyk13]

Anyone who believes that a Holiday Brits boycott will stop the shooting is living in Cloud Cuckoo Land (forgive the pun).The Germans etc will still keep on holidaying there.

[jno]

ah, thanks for that, Tilly, I think Carrust posted the wrong link.

[boxtops]

Don't pick on Malta - the netting and killing of migrating songbirds is common to many countries, they're a delicacy in many parts of the world. It's horrible to us, but not to them. A few people not going to Malta ain't gonna stop them - their economy doesn't depend entirely on tourism, it's an economic hub. We've been to Malta many times and have no intention of not going. Boycotting would have to include France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, to name but a few. They don't care, it's part of their culture. People don't stop going to Spain because of bullfighting, or to Egypt because of cruelty to donkeys, or to the Far East because of the vile raccoon dog fur trade. If anything, it's better to GO to these places, and join local protest groups and lobby when you're there - not just sit here saying "if that's what they're like, I won't go there".

[ethandron]

I don't agree with what Malta do but I don't think stopping visiting the island is the way to prevent it. If you take it to extremes, then you'd never go to most of the countries round the word because of their treatment of one animal/bird or another...look at France and China as two examples.

[Tilly2]

How many protest groups have you joined whilst you've been on your holidays then, boxy?

[boxtops]

Tilly, I have signed petitions where appropriate if I agree with something which is brought to my attention when I'm on my hols - if I saw something about these birds when I'm next in Malta, I'd sign it. It won't make any difference though - any more than Maltese people boycotting coming here would stop the grouse shooting in carrust's article, even though many people think that's very wrong, to raise ung birds specifically to shoot them. People don't complain when day-old chicks get fed to snakes - personally, I think that's horrible too.