I refer to the initiative recently taken by the Green Party Alternattiva Demokratika Gozo Regional Committee on the Ta’ Cenc cliff area in Gozo.

I am writing as an ordinary citizen of the European Union who is most concerned about what is happening in Malta.

I have never visited your island, always hoped to but it is now completely off limits to me. Also, I work for a very large organisation and am going to place a copy of the information provided by Proact on our notice board which I know will have the effect of putting more people off the idea of visiting Malta

I am sorry to learn that there are still barbarians living in Malta. I would have thought you would have been proud of your heritage and the important part a bird such as the peregrine falcon had in your history, that it was honoured and revered by your citizens throughout the country’s history (even I know about that). I love history, especially European history.

To me it shows nothing matters to your citizens. You have lost the pride you once had in your nation, otherwise you would want to keep your heritage and history alive.

After all, it is history that created the European Union which we have today. Now you are part of it and we expect you to abide by its rules.

Also, many tourists visit Malta because of the history, not just to sit on beaches but to “re-live” history. I had friends who went many years ago for just that reason, they enjoyed the friendliness of the people and the atmosphere so much, they took a coach party the year after and have been several times since, but will not be doing so again while the hunting continues and sites like Ta’ Cenc cliff area remain unprotected.

Thanks to the initiative of the Green Party (Alternattiva Demokratika), there is now a chance that Ta’ Cenc will be granted Special Protected Area Status by the European Union.”

Malta has one of the most unique bird habitats in the Mediterranean and I know there are companies organising tours to Malta, providing a much needed source of revenue. The killing of birds will, of course, mean these tours will cease to operate.

I also find it ironic that in England we are providing 24-hour round-the-clock protection for the beautiful rare black-legged stilts that may be breeding here, while the same rare birds are being murdered by the citizens of Malta as are bee-eaters, blue rock thrush, cory’s shearwater, yelkouan shearwater, orioles, hoopoes etc.

I would love to have the chance of seeing these birds in the wild but I have just turned down a holiday in Malta as I, for one, will not visit until the “killing” stops and the perpetrators are brought to justice.

Obviously loss of tourism means nothing to the Maltese. After all, now you are in the European Union, you expect to be able to live on handouts. What a terrible thing to happen to a once proud nation.

Mrs A.M. Chaplin

Preston

England