Why I won’t be visiting Malta

For more than 15 years I have periodically written letters suggesting the only way to make Malta clamp down on the shooting of our birds is for someone or some organisation to take on organising a boycott of Malta – holidays, flights, cruise ships and goods, etc. This is because I can see that the Maltese Government has no intention of stopping the slaughter of birds for as long as they can get away with it. Every time my letters have been responded to by people of influence saying this is not the way and we need to educate them and apply gentle persuasion. Now, I am not against these two suggestions, but they have not worked for a lot more than 15 years! We need stronger action. Chris Packham, for whom I have great respect, has tried this approach and for his trouble he has got himself arrested. Alright, he was found not guilty in court, but it shows that whatever the Maltese Government says, as a political statement, on the ground, where it really matters, the killing goes on and there is resistance to any change. For how many more years is this disgraceful killing going to be allowed to continue? We need stronger action and we need it now. That can only mean an organised boycott to hit them in the pocket where it really hurts. I have long crossed Malta off my travel list, despite the ease of visiting the island for birdwatching or other holiday reasons.

Richard Camp