The Editorial of Thursday, August 13 entitled “It really cannot be denied” could not have been given a better heading. Indeed, who can deny all BirdLife Malta has to say about the increase of breeding birds in Malta?

Certainly not the editor of this newspaper whose obvious favouritism of BirdLife Malta, coupled with a laughable knowledge about birds spurred him to allocate an editorial in support of BirdLife Malta’s astounding observations.

The editor, and all those gullible enough to believe what BirdLife Malta claim, might want to learn some facts about the birds of Malta. Rev. P.N. Godwin, a learned ornithologist stationed with the British forces in Malta in 1880, in what, without doubt, is considered a true unbiased report of facts, based on his own and other ornithological records of his time, (www.archive.org/stream/geologybotanynat00godwrich/geologybotanynat00godwrich_djvu.txt) states: “Malta being merely a resting place for birds in their periodical migrations across the Mediterranean. Occasional visitors appear during the winter months, and a few in summer. Birds generally arrive and leave at night, and do not usually remain more than one day,” Facts recorded in 1880 have remained unaltered yet BirdLife through the manipulation of the media and with the backing of other birding societies, that all consider hunting as an unnecessary evil, would now have us all believe that a two year ban on spring hunting is steadily turning Malta into a bird breeding paradise.

A study of breeding birds in Malta conducted by BirdLife Malta as part of their Breeding Bird Atlas lists a total of 29 confirmed breeding species with another eight as possible. The birds listed as breeding have bred here since time immemorial. Some so healthy as in the case of the Yelkouan Shearwater that they even warrant EU funding.

What Birdlife specifically fail to report or purposely omit in their observations is whether after two years of a spring hunting ban the two species hunted under derogation from the EU birds directive, namely the Turtle Dove and the Common Quail, have shown any tendency to breed locally. What they term as “species historically breeding in Malta” has in fact maintained their historical tendency of breeding elsewhere. The same can be said about the trapped seven finch species that after years of a ban on spring trapping have shown no change in breeding habits.

Birdlife’s lust for a hunting free Malta, though publicly they claim to support all forms of legal hunting, has now turned its venom towards the legitimate hunting of rabbits, a recognized worldwide agricultural pest species. Practiced within a regulated season that allows time for rabbits to breed and multiply, BirdLife are stating that this form of hunting is a loophole in the law that permits hunters to shoot at birds that attempt to breed locally. A large majority of hunters have opted to pay their rabbit shooting license in order to cut short the seven-month ban on hunting imposed no less on the insistence of BirdLife Malta and its “undeniable” reports.

The editor is right in stating that Birdlife’s report cannot be denied. To deny such a report one would have to be a frequent witness to fact or a knowledgeable impartial observer. Unfortunately, he fails to qualify in both. Hunters are the only other body that can truly verify facts, their presence all over Malta’s countryside is witness to Birdlife’s false statements. If the editor bases his conclusions on the public hearing more “birdsong and chirping” he might like to learn that none of the birds shot during the spring breeding season sing or chirp. In addition, if he unconditionally believes all BirdLife has to say, his editorial can only be termed as his personal contribution towards the BirdLife propaganda machine. Aiding and abetting a deceitful campaign against hunting, especially when his knowledge of birds or facts is so blatantly lacking, only points to an undisputable bias against hunters and to an obvious favouritism towards anything BirdLife Malta and its partners claim, report or invent.

Sylvana Zarb Darmanin

Editor’s note: People have eyes and ears. One wonders whether a good portion of Maltese people are visually impaired or have abnormal hearing. One also has to remark on the sentence: “he (the editor) might like to learn that none of the birds shot during the spring breeding season sing or chirp”. So, do we have an admission here that breeding birds are shot in Malta during the breeding season? What is undeniable, contrary to what the author is trying to portray, is that there are more birds in Malta and everyone can see them, and hear them.