From Ms F. Hazelton

I refer to an article entitled “Malta called ‘bird murder island’” that attributed several phrases directly to myself (TMIS, 27 April).

However, I would like to clarify that some of the quotes attributed to myself in this article were not actually said by me, nor did I have any knowledge of this article before I saw it in your newspaper. After making my own enquiries back in England, I discovered that the article in The Malta Independent on Sunday was based on another article written by a local journalist in Essex. This journalist had in fact combined a previous article I had written with information and quotes he obtained from elsewhere, phrases which I myself never said.

Having just volunteered with Birdlife Malta on the Spring Watch Camp, I would like to say that I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the island.

Birdlife Malta has done a fantastic job in gaining local support to stop illegal spring hunting and I was pleased to be part of such a dedicated team. Being here and witnessing the wonderful spectacle of migration while managing to spot certain species that are difficult to see back home was certainly a treat for me. Many of the birds that pass through Malta are destined for the UK so it was a pleasure to see them in Malta as they travel north. This was the first spring when the spring hunting season remained closed in Malta, following a welcome decision by the European Court of Justice to issue an interim measure banning spring hunting this year. My belief is that this will help to ensure that Malta will attract birdwatchers and eco-tourists alike to partake in the wildlife spectacle that this wonderful archipelago has to offer to all.

Fiona Hazelton

South Essex Community Project Manager

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

Wat Tyler Country Park

ESSEX

ENGLAND