According to the on-line encyclopaedia Wikipedia, hunting is: “the practice of pursuing animals for food, recreation, trade or for their products. In modern use, the term refers to regulated and legal hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of animals contrary to law.”

Therefore, since we are living in modern times, I would suggest that the hunters are referred to as poachers in future.

Nobody in this country needs to shoot or trap birds or animals because they are hungry, neither is it necessary to trade in animal products.

The killing for “recreation” is beyond comprehension and nobody, anywhere, has the right to shoot a living creature just for the fun of it. Who on earth in their right mind would want to destroy a beautiful flamingo, an elegant swan or a flock of raptors – or a tiny little robin?

Although the birds that are shot while flying over these islands during the migration periods do not belong to anyone, many of them have been bred in captivity and dedicated people have worked hard to protect them and their young so that they can be released in the wild thus ensuring that the species do not die out. It is our future generations who will ultimately benefit from this dedication.

Therefore when one shoots or traps one of these birds one is poaching.

One day we may well find ourselves faced with the question of “Daddy, what is a bird?”

It is about time that the government and the opposition take action. If both political parties took the same stand on the hunter-poachers, nobody would lose any votes!

Come on Gozitans and Maltese, wake up before it is too late and stop this barbaric custom once and for all.

Lesley Kreupl

Gharb