Never will go to Malta again...

Hunting is hunting, regardless to what animal is getting hunted surely!

why not stop such hunting in the UK first? Rather than going to other countries such as Malta?

hunting in Malta is controlled. not that many birds die, and nothing compared to the rest of Europe and the world

Foxes were originally hunted because they were predators. Regarded as a sport rather than pest control it has been banned.

How can anybody justify shooting harmless birds who wouldn't even be there other than an act of nature?

The vast majority of Maltese people do not approve of the hunting

I do not approve of the hunting

so are you saying it was ok to hunt and kill foxes

Fox hunting has nothing to do with this. It's been banned.

I agree it is good that the killing of foxes has been banned but it took many years to ban it and many poor foxes had to die by so called English Gentlemen

I think we all agree that the killing of the birds is very wrong.

My objection is with granula saying she will now never go back to Malta, I do not think that makes sense at all.

"why not stop such hunting in the UK first?" Because that has been stopped. That was the past, Parcs You are diluting the argument by bringing in what is already illegal. Stick to the birds in Malta.

She has assumed that every Maltese person agree with the bird hunting because otherwise why would she say she will now never visit Malta again,

elegran please read my previous post, perhaps you missed it, I have agreed to that already

If the vast majority of Maltese people are against it, then perhaps they should make sure that it doesn't happen?

As for eating what they shoot - if all hunters had to eat up all of what they shoot, it would cut down the variety of creatures that they think of as prey.

I hadn't read it, I was still replying to your post which implied that you didn't know that fox-hunting is now banned.

Would you have expected fox hunters to eat the foxes?

Maltese people Are trying to stop the hunting but as you may know this kind of thing takes time

If they had to eat the foxes, they would have thought twice about hunting them.

Very true indeed

"The unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable" as Oscar Wilde said.

I found I had to comment on this because I was struck by the similarity of Parcs comments with the kind of things that were being said by people who didn't want anyone who wasn't Japanese to comment on the appalling slaughter of Dolphins and whales in Taiji, Japan for six months of the year.

They say not all Japanese know about or support the hunts, they try to claim it's culture, they say 'they're only fish' and they say what about you eating animals or hunting foxes or similar. It's all diversionary stuff to try and evade the cruelty behind the killing. And that often goes hand in hand with claiming to be civilised when a civilised person could never support slaughter for sport and two wrongs never make a right.

Unfortunately other than the dreary and probably pointless signing of petitions, the only way to bring about change in our world seems to be through economic means so a boycott is perfectly legitimate as well as a way of bringing the issue to the attention of all those who apparently don't know what is going on. Perhaps it being brought to their attention might then lead to them doing something?

In the case of Japan, only a few Japanese seem to care even when it is brought to their attention and my guess is the same thing would be the case in Malta. Anyone who wants to know more about Japan and dolphin slaughter look up the Sea Shepherd website.

I don't usually like to stick my neck out on controversial subjects, but as I live in Malta I do feel I can comment on this.

I, too, feel it is a bit of an over-reaction to boycott Malta. What about boycotting Spain for the cruel practice of bullfighting, or boycotting the UK because thousands of babies are killed in their mothers' wombs every year. Abortion is illegal in Malta, by the way. Or saying I will never come to the UK because of all the stabbings and murders that take place.

Yes, there is illegal hunting here and the culprits get heavily penalized if caught, but they are in the minority.

Some of the birds shot are, in fact, eaten, and as for being unable to walk in the countryside - that is ridiculous as we regularly walk our dog in the countryside and have never been in the firing line.

I reiterate that I am totally against hunting or cruelty to animals in any shape or form, but I do think some of the comments here are over the top.

Just curious, but why is this on a thread where one can post pictures

So the vote was only to kill quail and turtle dove? Really? And killing everything else is illegal? Hawks and migrating birds are relatively safe? Why are Bill Oddie and Chris Packham and all the others making such a fuss then? Why don't they turn their attentions to France and Spain and Italy where they also blast small birds into an explosion of feathers?

If the 'vast majority' of Maltese are truly against hunting, they could have voted to get it banned. Hence my comment about rednecks and intimidating tactics- many people in rural areas where intimidated in not voting or didn't dare.

I could not enjoy another holiday in Malta- as it is impossible to walk in the countryside without being surrounded with guy with guns shooting at everything. I've witnessed this on our last holiday there- and despite the beautiful scenery and the amazing ancient sites- I just could not enjoy it at all- so I think, to me, that is makes total sense to decide not to go again- but go where I can enjoy the scenery.

I appreciate your point of view granjura, although I still have to wonder where you went walking and were surrounded by guys with guns. As I said, we walk regularly in the countryside and have yet to come upon any shooters. You make it sound like the Wild West

I will say this, though, I feel much safer living in Malta than I would back in the UK. The majority of the people here are kind, generous and friendly but unfortunately their reputation has been tarred by a few hotheads who can't let go of the past ie.their 'right' to practice a 'hobby'.

... and of course, the birds and peace ... Hearing the guns all day and often at night made me feel sick- knowing what i meant.

The Police are far too often in cohoots with the gunmen, and will protect them NOT and not prosecute, and that is the problem. Chris Packam and other bird protection volunteers have often been threatened and police refused to act. They got film of the perpetrators and detail of their cars, but nothing is done. And they have been escorted quite roughly off totally public land by police and threatened with arrest.

Bella, this is not personal and I can understand how you feel- but there is no way you will persuade me that hunting birds, including thousands of protected species of song birds and birds of prey- is a minority 'sport' in Malta, and that perpetrators are punished hard (and I think you actually are fully aware of this- and I am sorry as this can't be a comfortable truth for you - again, nothing personal, I hope you realise this).

Sorry, our posts crossed. I agree, people were overall really friendly and lovely- and I thought the place was wonderful. I fell in love with Valetta too- the nooks and crannies of the harbour, and the old houses with the protuding verandas and artisans working in the basement. Luckily we were there just before they changed all the old Leyland buses- and traveling by bus was such an adventure.

We walked mainly at the end of the afternoons, all around the ancient neolithic sites (must check the period) - we could see all the small shelters all over the place but only understood as sun started to fall, what they were for. As the tourists left, the hunters arrived, dozens of them, with their guns slung over their shoulder- we wanted to sit and watch dusk come to the old settlement, but felt so threatened we had to leave- and heard the gunshot as we left. Same in Gozo. We made sure we left the countryside before sunset after that.

If the vast majority of Maltese are against this then I don't understand why it was passed by a small majority. I cannot understand, either, when the UK has to abide by EU rules, whether sensible or not, Malta can decide to flout them just because it is a democracy - so is the UK.

Surely the EU can override this decision and warn the Maltese government that this is not acceptable, and there will be consequences if they continue.

I do think it is very sad that exhausted migrating birds are shot indiscriminately, but then again the 12th August (so-called The Glorious 12th) starts the grouse shooting season in the UK and many people do go out shooting all over the UK. We often hear shots here when we are walking in the countryside, presumably people shooting at rabbits.

We have visited Malta and are planning to go again later this year. We will not cancel our holiday but I would like to know more about this and whether or not the EU can override this decision and precious migrating birds can be protected.

If we looked at the customs of many countries that we disagree with we may end up not going anywhere.
When we visited Australia we heard that a certain group of peoples has an exemption from the ban on killing dugong and marine turtles but I will still go there although I disagree with the exemption. This group are allowed to continue with their killing because it is 'traditional'.
Bull running and bull fighting makes me sick to think about but I would still go to Spain.