Own goal in malta

I was disappointed to note that Jack Knott regarded the retention of spring hunting in Malta as a victory for defending Europe’s hunting traditions (Defending Europe’s hunting traditions, October issue). I see it more as an own goal, badly damaging the image of the hunting/shooting community. No responsible sportsman should shoot migrant birds in spring shortly before they start breeding, especially when those birds being hunted – quail and turtle doves – are species that are declining fast in Europe. That the Maltese continue this unacceptable practice reflects badly on the ability of the EU to enforce its own laws, under which spring hunting is illegal. David Tomlinson Bardwell, Suffolk