Stronger enforcement needed
The killing of a number of storks around Malta and Gozo is certainly a cause for concern.
BirdLife Malta recently said that only one stork could still be seen flying around the island, and the organisation suspects all the others have been killed.
So far, only two cases of illegal hunting – in which six of the 18 storks were massacred – have been, or are being, dealt with. On 13 August, a man was denied bail after shooting down four white storks. On 15 August, two more storks were killed, this time at Magħtab, with Parliamentary Secretary Clint Camilleri saying on Facebook that a man had been arrested in connection with this latest incident.
BirdLife Malta, however, does not seem to believe that enforcement is being taken seriously, and as the main NGO on the island when it comes to protecting birds, its warnings should be taken seriously.
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One of its representatives told this newsroom that when the first stork was shot down, it had taken police officers 70 minutes to get to the site. This is unacceptable. Police officers should not take that long to respond to any report of criminality. The NGO also makes a second point, that without proper enforcement, then deterrents such as steep fines, will not work.
The authorities need to take illegal hunting more seriously, especially given that such incidents could result in a harsher response at EU level should the situation get bad enough. One must remember that these birds do not belong to the Maltese, they are just passing through. Shooting birds which are not meant to be hunted affects citizens in other countries as well, who might very well take the protection of such birds more seriously than the local authorities do.
Such incidents also do nothing in terms of helping the image of hunters, who should report any incidents of illegal hunting by other hunters to the police immediately, otherwise their reputation, and the reputation of Maltese hunters abroad, will continue to deteriorate.
Each year we hear news stories of illegal hunting, and some are caught and taken to court, yet the fact that some still choose to break the law shows that not enough is being done.
Illegalities persist also because hunters know well enough by now that there is no political will to clamp down on their controversial hobby – because the hunting lobby commands tens of thousands of votes.
What we need in this country is a government with a pair of proverbials that puts the environment and our well-being above votes and elections; a government that does not shy away from really stepping up the penalties for illegalities and investing in much-needed enforcement.