During the campaign for the referendum on spring hunting, all I have heard is arguments based on bird migration, bird breeding, illegalities, derogations and the countryside. Very little has been said about the social aspect of hunting and how hunting is part of a lifestyle.
My father is one of those for whom hunting was just in spring - turtle doves and quail. These two birds are two of the few game birds in the south of Europe, especially the Mediterranean. Now that he has retired, all he would like to do is enjoy his free time in the countryside and those 20 half-days of spring hunting. Gone are the 60 days of spring hunting all the species that could be hunted; but that is the compromise and balance that a democratic society has established.
I had the same upbringing as my twin brother, but for some reason I found hunting gave me that adrenalin rush but my brother was never interested - and is still not interested. This shows how people are different, even when they are so similar. Man needs adrenalin and I feel it while outdoors hunting; others feel it while racing cars or jogging; everyone has his passion. I have other hobbies, such as fishing and diving, but none of them gives me the same feeling, and if I had to choose just one hobby, it would definitely be hunting.
For me, spring hunting means enjoying the countryside and spending quality time with my dad and our dogs; nothing gives me that much satisfaction. Hunting is not just shooting a bird; it's the whole package. There is the preparation, like anyone gets ready to go for a picnic or any other outdoor activity. We clean our land in preparation for the season; we plant trees and water them in summer; we till the land and remove the weeds and, above all, we clean the mess behind left by picnickers after a weekend.
In the UK, hunting is a way of life and for me, here in Malta, it is the same. What I fail to understand is why there is this taboo locally. It is true that some individuals tarnish the reputation of the rest, but isn't that the same anywhere? We've heard about magistrates, lawyers, notaries, architects and other professional people breaking the law, but we never say that all those in their professions are bad. I am proud to say that my upbringing was exemplary and that hunting was taught to me from an educational point of view, as it should be, but why should I be punished because someone else did something wrong? We should also appreciate that the hunter has evolved and that illegalities have been drastically reduced - BirdLife Malta confirms this.
Hunting is also about collecting the game caught and preparing the meal. If I catch a bird, I never leave until I have found it to take home, and this is where the dogs come in. They are also part of the hunter's lifestyle, so much so that Malta has its own breed of hunting dog. Malta also has a long culinary tradition where birds are involved, and turtle dove and quail are the most common. Birds used to nourish families and were also used in trade. I remember, not so long ago, that the farmer next to us used to pay his rent to the land-owner in the form of six turtle doves a year, as stipulated in the rental agreement.
Village folk can also confirm that women used to go to their husband's field to collect the catch of the day and prepare dinner before his return later. I also remember hunters returning home with their gun clearly in sight; it was a tradition and a way of life. Those days are gone, but history is written. Society today has brought us to the point where you are labelled as a bad person if you are seen with a bird in your hand while taking it home for dinner. In the UK, the hunted birds are proudly displayed and eaten but, above all, the birds are also sought after and found in butcher's shops.
The countryside can be enjoyed by everyone because 20 half-days of hunting is such a small amount of time. Furthermore, hunting is mostly practised for the first couple of hours after dawn. We say that Malta is so small, but the outdoor spaces are still enough for everyone to enjoy. Even the areas that are no-hunting zones are so vast that they are enough, so why do some people still insist on trespassing onto private property?
As a hunter, I enjoy the countryside as much as anyone else. As a family, we used to meet after noon at weekends for a barbeque or picnic. My dad and I would be there before dawn, and the rest of the family would then come later. And I am so into birds that, at noon, when the shooting had stopped for the day, I used to put away my gun and get out my camera. I have an endless collection of photographs of birds I have taken, even while out hunting. If it's not a game bird, I take photos, and when the season is closed, I take photos.
On 11 April, I will vote YES because I believe that in Malta we have finally reached the ideal balance on the subject: a very short and limited season with restrictions and enforcement. If spring hunting is abolished, democracy will have failed Maltese society and extremism will have won. Respect and equilibrium towards others has already been achieved: let us not ruin it.