Rare satellite-tagged eagle appears in Malta

A rare Eastern Imperial Eagle has roosted in Malta last night in what constitutes the first ever record of the presence of this species on the Maltese Islands. Sporting a satellite tracking device, the massive bird is thought to originate from a conservation project in Austria.

Xi Gmiel. (Photo credit: sakertour)

BirdLife Malta today announced the first ever record of a rare Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca) for the Maltese Islands, after it was alerted by birdwatcher members of the organization who spotted the massive eagle over Buskett yesterday early afternoon. An unusual species for the Central Mediterranean, Eastern Imperial Eagles breed in Eastern Europe and Asia and normally migrate over Balkan countries and the Middle East to winter in East Africa, Arabia and India. Although they have a massive wing span of up to two metres, they normally avoid long stretches of open water and do not cross over Mediterranean Islands, hence their rare presence in the region.

The Eastern Imperial Eagle specimen spotted in Malta. Photo taken by Stephen Cilia

The experienced birdwatchers, who are accustomed to seeing this bird in Eastern Europe but never in Malta, followed the bird in various locations. BirdLife Malta soon got the further news that the bird in question was also fitted with a satellite-tracking device. Contacting several Birdlife Partners in Europe such as Hunagry, Bulgaria and Austria, the bird is now thought to originate from a conservation programme in BirdLife Austria.

BirdLife Malta has yesterday alerted the Administrative Law Enforcement Unit of the Malta Police Force to the presence of such a rarity. As further news on the eagle is awaited from Malta and abroad, the organization is urging members of the public to keep a look out for it and alert police of any illegal hunting. Reports to police can be made on 119 while the organization can be reached on 2134 7646

What is Environmental Governance?

I recently came across a news article in which environment NGO Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar (FAA) pointed to a lack of environmental governance in Malta. While I agree with the arguments that FAA put forward, the NGO did not fully explain the significance of this term.

The following blog post will be slightly more technical when compared to previous ones. The reason behind this is that I actually covered environmental governance as one of the theories underpinning my final research project for my Masters programme. Even though I am quite sure that many people will not manage to reach the end of this post, I will include a generous list of references for those interested souls (or perhaps for any prospective students that are looking for journals – SCORE!),

Governance and environmental governance

Governance is increasingly becoming a popular term in political discourse, even in Malta. However, like many ‘buzzwords’ (most notably sustainable development), not many people actually understand what this concept is. Governance strives for a cooperative relationship between private and public actors in the face of communal problems (Biermann, 2004).

With the growing importance of environmental issues in national debates, environmental governance branched out to encompass issues relating to environmental politics. It is argued by Evans (2012) that environmental governance is a central tool that may help direct proper relations between society and the environment. Ideally, this may be achieved through proper stakeholder participation, in which the governing process is extended onto stakeholders such as charities, NGOs, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and the public.

In order for this to happen, countries have to be open to a paradigm shift from centralized governing to a multilevel governance. Some countries recognised this when governments were not fulfilling their duties, so they required the inclusion of multiple actors to aid in mitigation measures (Evans, 2012). It should be noted that this shift did not represent a ‘better’ approach to solving environmental issues, but was something which occurred gradually and was instigated by the policy-makers themselves. Such a transition in governing creates an ideal situation where more resources become available for the policy implementing process, and it also maximizes support when important decisions are required.

From governing to governance

As argued by Weale and his colleagues (2003), the EU has created a very complex system of environmental governance since 1972, which can lead to nature conservation through several legislation. To Date, there are more than 700 international agreements which are targeted to tackle such environmental concerns, this figure excluding bilateral agreements (SDC, 2005).

The EC Habitats Directive, a hallmark European legislation, requires EU member states to create a network of Natura2000 sites that have to be safeguarded. One of these sites is the island of Comino (including Cominotto as seen in the picture above). However, this government has already hinted at the possibility of building a hotel in this protected area.

This academic understanding of governance does not always give the desired results, since an EU governance process may not be work well in a regional setting (Strand, 2004). This is experienced in all EU countries, and the hunting situation in Malta is a clear example of how European environmental governance processes do not work in a regional context (sigh).

Environmental governance in nature conservation

Environmental governance for nature conservation forms the basis for heated debates on whether or how environmental services should be priced, and who should make environmental decisions (Liverman, 2004). However, governance in nature conservation is becoming more challenging, since the involved stakeholders, albeit choosing conservation as a core principal would have conflicting interests (Bennett, 2000).

Environmental governance in Malta

The study I conducted consisted of interviews to NGOs, governmental bodies, scientists and other stakeholders associated to Dwejra Heritage Park in Gozo (the case study selected). The results obtained indicate that implementation challenges from the government side are the cause for poor stakeholder participation and public engagement. In fact, it emerged from this study that there is an apparent lack of political will to achieve environmental targets and tackle environmental issues. Even though the study was completed in 2011, not much has changed since then – it has actually deteriorated further.

Zonqor Point has been sold to a Jordanian private investor to build a privately owned university. The deal has not been made public yet, and no stakeholder was consulted during the agreement between the Maltese government and the investor. This is just one of the many examples that demonstrate the non-existence of environmental governance in Malta.

Since the Labour Party gained office in 2013, there have been a number of worrying proposals that have been identified or decided, including the (fake) AUM at Zonqor Point, the cruise terminal in Gozo, the motorsport track, land reclamation in Bahar ic-Caghaq, the new power station, the hotel on Comino, the new yacht marinas in Gozo and/or Comino, and/or Malta, and so on and so forth.

The whole crux of the argument is that projects such as these cannot possibly move forward without the inclusion of the proper stakeholders. The current Maltese government is consistently striving for development without the need to involve anyone else. This is an antithesis to the whole concept of governance – instead of decentralizing the decision making process, Muscat’s government is hellbent on controlling every aspect of projects that ultimately have an enormous environmental and social cost.

The concept of governance, let alone environmental governance, does not exist in Malta. On the contrary, the Maltese government operates on the notion of anti-governance.

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References:

• Bennett, P. (2000). Environmental governance and private actors: enrolling insurers in international maritime regulation. Political Geography, 19 (7), pp. 875-899.
  Biermann, F., (2004). Global Environmental Governance. Conceptualization and Examples. Global Governance Working Paper No 12. Amsterdam, Berlin, Oldenburg, Potsdam: The Global Governance Project. Retrieved October 15th, 2011 from http://www.glogov.org.
• Evans, J. P. (2012). Environmental Governance. Routledge, London, United Kingdom.
• Liverman, D. (2004). Who Governs, at What Scale and at What Price? Geography, Environmental Governance, and the Commodification of Nature. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 94 (4), pp. 734-738.
• SDC (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation). (2005). Global Conventions and Environmental Governance. InfoResources Focus, 3 (5).
• Strand, J. R. (2004). The case for regional environmental organizations. In Kanie, N., and Haas, P. M. (Eds.), Emerging Forces in Environmental Governance, pp. 71-85 United Nations University Press, United Nations, Tokyo, Japan.
• Weale, A., Pridham, G., Cini, M., Konstadakopulos, D., Porter, M., and Flynn, M. (2003). Environmental Governance in Europe: An Ever Closer Ecological Union? Oxford University Press, Oxfrod, United Kingdom.

Cecilia Malmström and TTIP: Neonicotinoids will remain banned in the EU

As a Trainee with the European Commission, I have the luxury of coming into close contact with several high ranking EU officials, include European Commissioners. During a recent conference, we had the pleasure of experiencing an interesting talk by the European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström, who discussed various topics including the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). During the Q&A, I asked Ms Malmström about the future of neonicotinoid chemicals in the EU.

(Photo credit: eurActiv)

I had written about these chemicals in a post back in 2013, a couple of days before the European Commission partially banned the use of these chemicals to safeguard bee populations. As with many Commission issued bans, their implementation is rarely ever linear, as a 2014 article hinted at a lack of enforcement of the ban at a national level.

Irrespective of these internal European issues surrounding the use of neonictonoids, the chemicals are effectively partially banned. However, concerns have been raised at the possibility of their reintroduction following continued negotiations on TTIP with the US.

Back in April 2014, then German MEP Hiltrud Beyner (part of the European Greens Party) asked a written question to the European Commission concerning an interview in which the COO of Syngenta John Atlkin, said that he wanted to annul the partial ban on neonicotinoids through the TTIP.

In its response, the Commission stated that “These negotiations are not about compromising the health of our consumers for commercial gains. We will not negotiate changes of the basic rules that we do not want on either side”.

Despite this, it was recently reported that US trade officials pushed the EU to drop pesticide laws that it was planning to regulate regarding the use of endocrine-disrupting chemicals linked to cancer and male infertility, in order to facilitate TTIP free trade deal. This move renewed concerns regarding the possibility of neonicotonoids being reintroduced in the EU, amid possible pressures from US pesticide companies.

In response to this, I asked Commissioner Malmström if we should expect such a reintroduction. Her response was a resounding NO – if neonicotonoids have already been partially banned in the EU, they will stay partially banned irrespective of the agreements to be negotiated in TTIP.

This statement will hopefully dispel any future concerns that European environmental groups may have, guaranteeing a future for European bee populations. Additionally, it is hoped that national governments in each EU member state will move ahead with the proper regulation and enforcement on the use of these chemicals in the near future.

American University of Malta – Is there any respect for the public?

As expected, the agreement between the Maltese government and the Jordanian Investor from a construction company prominently active in Saudi Arabia has been signed. Even though the Prime Minister said that it would ‘consider’ alternative sites for this university, the outside development zone (ODZ) earmarked for this project will most likely be sold to the private investors. Even though such a venture would always be welcome as a form of investment, why has the Maltese public been completely left in the dark?

Is there any respect for the public by the Maltese government? Why has this agreement been reached behind closed doors? Why is the government selling off public land and letting us know after the deed is done?

As discussed in a previous post, the area earmarked for the construction of this university is an ODZ area and classified as public space. It belongs to everyone. Yet, the government feels it has the authority to sell of this land without even consulting the public about its intentions. It is the same situation as if you own a shared commodity with ten other people, and the person managing it for you sells it off without your consent or approval.

It is also quite evident that the deal was struck months in advance, and the government only announced its intentions to the public a couple of days before signing the agreement out of obligation. Specifically, the project was announced on the Sunday, signed on the Tuesday and promotional material released on that same day.

If they had time to prepare a silly video and print their conference backdrops, they surely had enough time to consult the public before an agreement was reached behind closed doors.

But investor representative Thaer Mukbel said that “they take the environment very seriously, and that this university will be built with respect towards the environment”, and Prime Minister Joseph Muscat reiterated by saying that “it is as serious about the environment as it is about creating wealth and distributing it in a fair manner”.

So these two parties trade concrete and parcels of public land as if they were Comic Books, then proceed to joke about it by saying that they care about the environment. One would ask for a responsible consultation process between the government and the relevant local stakeholders (University of Malta, NGOs, Malta Development Authority, Local Councils and the PUBLIC), but one can only dream when it is Malta we are talking about.

How can we ever expect the environment to be taken seriously when there is absolutely no respect for the public in Malta to begin with? But we are told that this project will generate €25m a year, so we are expected to shut up and just be grateful about it – similar to how 16th Century peasants used to get excited when the King used to throw coins at them.

On a side note, DePaul University in Chicago is still mum on the whole issue, but I expect that this stakeholder is probably none the wiser. After all, the Maltese government is only concerned with appeasing the foreign investor – make it rain Hani Saleh!

The Malting Pot’s guide to illegal and abusive coastal eateries in Malta

There is nothing better in this world than an ice cold beer on a scorching Maltese beach in Summer. As temperatures have started soaring in Malta, people have begun to flock to the coast and splashing their Facebook walls with their ‘First Swim Selfies’. With the tourism sector gearing up for a busy 2015 summer period, I have decided to also do my part by providing tourists and local  revellers with a guide to illegally and abusively constructed eating outlets around Malta and Gozo.

Before we kick this off, let me clarify what I mean by ‘illegal’ and ‘eating outlet’. By referring to an outlet as being illegal, the outlet may be constructed without a permit in its entirety, or it may have some form of illegal extension to the legal part of its premises. There are also a couple of outlets that may be legal but are still abusively occupying public space. In any case, the majority og these outlets are breaking the law and occupying public land, and in most cases even constructing parts of their premises in ecologically sensitive areas. An eating outlet may range from a full fledged restaurant, to a beach lido, to a kiosk, to a make shift outlet that cooks on a barbecue (this is actually true).

This situation isn’t that bad, right?

A – Mgarr ix-Xini Kiosk – This outlet been in breach of a MEPA enforcement notice since 2007, and is labelled as “pending direct action”. Tens of thousands of euros were be paid out to this ‘business’ as it was forced to close because of the ‘blockbuster’ movie By the Sea that was shot at Gozo’s Mgarr ix-Xini by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Source: The Malta Independent. On a separate note, I had visited this outlet once and was not even provided with a VAT receipt. Therefore this outlet is illegally occupying land and does not even pay VAT on all income generated.

Brad and Angelina were filming By the Sea in Malta in the summer of 2014 in Mgarr ix-Xini. The area was cordoned off to keep out the peasants, so business were compensated. One of these happen to be this illegally built restaurant. The seafood os good though, albeit a bit pricey. (Photo credit: Us Magazine)

B – Munchies Kiosk (Golden Bay) – An honourable mention since this has now been (finally) demolished – The kiosk used to occupy an ecologically sensitive area and has been dismantled. Although most of the new facility will be located under the car park, the new development will include an 80 square metre terrace overlooking the beach.  Source: MaltaToday

The proposed new Munchies restaurant. After years of illegally occupying ecologically sensitive area, the owner gets off easy with a newly approved location in the same beach (Photo credit: MaltaToday)

C – Cavett Place/Tac-Cavett –  The site includes structures without a permit, and the enforcement notice also states the use of the site was switched from a farm to a venue hosting commercial activities that include serving food and drinks. Source – Times of Malta

D – Las Palmas (Bahar ic-Caghaq) – Served with an enforcement notice in May 2014 after a metal railing structure to serve as a raised platform for tables, chairs and umbrellas was erected. By November 2014, number of covers doubled despite an enforcement notice served by Mepa last May. Source: Times of Malta

E – Scoglitti Restaurant (Valletta) – In February 2015, MEPA issued a number of enforcement notices over the erection of a boundary wall and lampposts and a number of alterations to the façade without a permit. Source – MaltaToday.

The illegal extension of Scoglitti Restaurant is denying access to the public, mainly fishermen and canoeists. but even Posh people need to eat right? (Photo credit: MaltaToday)

F – Scicluna Farmhouse (Gudja) – A Gudja farmhouse was illegally converted into a restaurant. Despite complaints by its neighbours, it continues to operate despite having been slapped with an enforcement notice by the planning authority in 2012. Source: Times of Malta

G – San Blas Kiosk – In 2009 MEPA issued an enforcement notice against a ‘structure’ serving as a kiosk for the hiring of deckchairs and umbrellas.  In 2010 MEPA issued an enforcement notice against a bamboo enclosure (in which bricks were being kept) and the construction of stairs leading to the beach. Burgers are still being served today. Source – MaltaToday, The Malta Independent

H – Dwejra Restaurant (Gozo) – Not an illegal case, but a highly abusive one. A restaurant was never meant to be built in Dwejra, but this was controversially incorporated into the Interpretation centre in 2007. A permit for a permanent generator in the middle of the existing car park at this site was filed in 2013. Source: MaltaToday

The restaurant owner has been vying for an outlet in this area for nearly two decades. His wish came through when he negotiated to have this outlet incorporated into the Interpretation Centre in Dwejra. If only we could do something about that horrid font and colour, naqa cliché hux? (Photo credit: MaltaToday)

I – Kiosks in St Paul’s Bay – llegal works were being carried out along Qawra Promenade to enable the relocation of three Kiosks that are occupying land needed for the development of a Private Aquarium in the area better known as Ta’ Fra Ben. Source: Malta Star

J – Ghadira Bay Kiosks – Another legal case but executed to high degree of stupidity. Concrete bases were laid down in the bay, impacting the coast, the sand dunes and surrounding ecology in this Natura2000 site. The permit for the kiosk had been repeatedly refused, and one of the kiosk had two enforcement orders, which were swept away by the approved Development Notification Order. This DNO system bypasses public consultation to fast-track applications for minor works. Source: Times of Malta

K – Summer Nights (Marsascala) – Since 2001, the owner has not applied for a permit allowing him to cook food on site. Source: Times of Malta.

L – Anthony’s Restaurant (Nadur) – This case has been regulated, but harmful impacts to the traffic flow of the area still persist. Outlet owner has a permit to place a small number of tables, and last April (2014), it applied for a permit to “extend pavement under the area covered with the concession for placing of tables. No permit was issued to extend the area in which tables and chairs were placed, but this did not appear to deter the restaurant, which ended up incurring an enforcement notice for occupying a larger public space than it was allowed to. Eventually, however, the restaurant relented, and the offending street furniture was removed. Source: The Malta Independent

M – Ramla Bay Kiosk – An enforcement order was also issued in 2012 against a kiosk built without a permit on scheduled land in Ramla l-Hamra in Gozo. An application to sanction the kiosk presented by the owner in 2009 was withdrawn by the Planning Directorate. Source – MaltaToday

This illegal kiosk refuses to enter the 21st Century, with its tacky and cheap design and finishes. But what is the point of spending money when there is no competition in the area? (Photo credit: BeachMalta)

N – Ray’s Lido (Armier) – Enforcement order issued in 2003, referring to the illegal development of a two-storey building and to two concrete platforms in the sea. An appeal against the enforcement order was rejected in 2006. In parallel to this appeal the owners also presented three applications to regularise the development, the latest of which was turned down in 2009. Subsequently the owner applied for a reconsideration of this decision, which was turned down twice in 2011. But an appeal against this decision is still pending. Source – MaltaToday

O – Dahlet Qorrot Kiosk – Similarly, an enforcement against a kiosk in Dahlet Qorrot, an area of ecological importance in Qala, has been pending for the past 10 years. Source – MaltaToday

P – Hondoq ir-Rummien Kiosk – A kiosk in Hondoq ir-Rummien is also subject to an enforcement order issued by MEPA in 2000. Applications to regularise the kiosk and allow tables to be placed outside it was rejected in 1998 and 2000. Source – MaltaToday

Q – Belmar Lido (Armier) – An enforcement order against the Belmar lido was issued in 2006. The enforcement notice refers to the change of use of part of the beach into a private lido. An appeal was presented against the enforcement order but this was rejected three years later. Source – MaltaToday

R – L’Aroma Terrace (Ghadira Bay) – An enforcement order against the development of a concrete platform, wooden canopy, stairs and concrete ramp without permit was issued against the Adira lido in 2010. The enforcement has been pending for the past four years. No attempt has been made to regularise this development through a formal application.  Source – MaltaToday

This outlet in Ghadira wants you to enjoy its products in a safe and accessible environment, so it went the extra mile by building a concrete platform illegally in the beach. (Photo credit: MaltaToday)

S – Paradise Bay Lido – served with an enforcement order against the construction of an illegal canopy covering the restaurant’s terrace, the construction of a room being used as a kitchen and the creation of concrete paved areas used for the placing of sunbeds and umbrellas. A similar enforcement notice against concrete paving in the same site was issued in 1993. According to MEPA’s files this case is still, 20 years later, awaiting “direct action”. Source – MaltaToday

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The above outlets are only the ones reported by the media, and represent merely a fraction of all the eateries in Malta that have illegalities that are simply swept under the rug. Furthermore, if one takes into the account all the sun bed and umbrella renting outlets, mobile kiosks, and other merchants operating in coastal areas without the necessary permits, the above map would become too congested.

With tourism figures growing each year, these outlets will ultimately increase in number and end up occupying more public space and damaging sensitive ecological areas. Ironic how the government wants to build more hotels to improve the tourism sector, when the sector currently requires so much more enforcement.

At least we can rest easy knowing that the Tourism Minister publicly came out against illegal restaurants and kiosk operating in coastal areas. This was in July 2014, so may be this post will help the minister and the pertinent authorities start enforcing these outlets. Come on guys, this is just like going to the gym – the first few days are the hardest!

Whatever you do this summer, eat responsibly and support your law abiding restaurateurs!

Ten lessons learned from the 2015 Malta Spring Hunting season

As expected, the illegal spring hunting season has been closed early due to a spate of hunting illegalities occurring over the past couple of days. With one swish of his magic wand, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat closed the spring hunting season, to the delight of No voters and to the outrage of the other ones. This is what I have learned from this year’s edition of the Eurovision Song Contest Spring Hunting season.

Lesson 1. Turtle doves and Quails are masters of camouflage

Ah yes, this lesson kicked off the spring hunting season with a not so proverbial bang. On a clear Wednesday morning on the 15th of April, a turtle dove made its way casually to Manikata. However, seeing as this morning was decidedly chillier than usual, this turtle dove stopped by Mecca Carnival and Toy Store in St Paul’s Bay and purchased a feather coat.

Upon arrival at Manikata, a lone hunter named Stefan Micallef mistook this turtle dove for a cuckoo. This story has a sad ending for both parties…the bird met an untimely death, while the hunter was publicly shamed and sentenced in court.

Hunters should read the following Idiot’s Guide to Spring Hunting to avoid such a recurrence.

Lesson 2. Cuckoo stew is totally IN this season

This year we learnt that quail and turtle dove dishes are a bit passé. The hunting community is trying to break gastronomical ground by introducing a new staple addition to the local cuisine – Cuckoo. Be it a stew, on a barbecue or your run-of-the-mill Sunday roast, Cuckoo is definitely the meat of the season.

More updates will follow once the hunting community comes up with recipes in collaboration with Farah (fil-Kcina ma Farah) and Sean Gravina (Gourmet TV), including a weight loss edition featuring Marion Mizzi.

Roast cuckoo could very well be the new appetizer bars give out to customers. (Photo credit: Scott Edelman)

Lesson 3. New sport for St. Edward Students

We have all heard about the alarming rise in obesity amongst Maltese children. Physical activity in schools has become a central area of growth for the Maltese education sector. Hunters are also doing their part in this field, as this season they managed to invent a new sport, using St Edward’s College as a case study.

I give you “Dodge the Kestrel”.

The rules are quite simple – school children need to dodge a bleeding kestrel bomb from falling on top of their heads. This game is loosely based on Quidditch, in that the ‘seeker’ can win a ton of points if they manage to catch the bleeding kestrel in mid-air. While there may be some traumatic repercussions for squeamish and kind-hearted kids, this new activity is very well suited to usher these children into adolescence.

Lesson 4. Positive reinforcement

And they say that Maltese people do not have a big heart!! This year, we learnt that no matter what hunting illegality you commit, you are a victim of circumstance and those posh, pepe, tree hugging freaks have no business bitching about you on social media.

Shot a Dutch child? Killed a protected bird? Trespassed on protected land?

Not to worry!! Hunters will donate money so that you pay your fine, allowing you to Not learn your lesson so that you can commit the same crime again!

Positive reinforcement!

Lesson 5. New form of addiction in the Maltese Islands

Malta may have just discovered the best form of addiction to ever grip the world population. Toss your liquor out the window, leave that casino, put out your joints and stop downloading that porn – hunting is the new addiction!

It meets the best criteria possible that make other forms of addiction all so socially unacceptable. Hunting does not create a gaping hole in your finances, it does not harm your body, and is actually found to increase family resilience over a long exposure of time.

Furthermore, as an added bonus, the taxpayer has to pay for your addiction, so you can literally do whatever you want! In addition, if you do happen to get caught, your fellow hunters will pay your fines as well (Lesson 4)!

Sedqa please take note.

Lessons 6. Shooting people is officially acceptable, especially foreigners

It has been speculative for quite a number of years now, but we can proudly confirm that people may get shot at during the spring hunting season. However, the probability of this occurring depends on where you fall on the list below. The further you move down the list, the greater the chance of a lead pellet shower to freshen up your day.

• Prime Minister Joseph Muscat
• Maltese hunter
• Maltese non-hunter
• Foreigner
• Teenager
• Dutch
• BirdLife and/or CABS volunteer
• Affiliated with Saviour Balzan and/or Moira Delia

If you happen to be a Flying Dutchman, just head over to the Canary Islands for safety. (Photo credit: theguestale)

Lesson 7. Updated concept of ‘Public land’

The Maltese have always had an atypical definition of what public land is. Traditionally, any land that has not been ‘conquered’ by someone is deemed as being public. However, during the hunting season, what remains of the public land is temporarily ‘conquered’ by hunters.

As such, the term public land is henceforth updated to meaning:

“Land that is held by central or local government, but used exclusively by hunters during the spring hunting season since these claim to have rights to do whatever they want”.

Entering what you think is public land may be quite dangerous, especially  when one takes into account Lesson 6.

Lesson 8. Convicts can still own a gun!

In Malta, we strongly believe that equality is an important factor in our society. This is why our government and police force are not necessarily bothered about who is issued a hunting licence and allowed to carry a loaded gun in public.

If you happen to have been through the same turmoil as Shaun Demicoli did, do not despair! Even though Shaun punched a police constable, resisted arrest and was also charged with attempted murder, our police force and government deemed him responsible enough to carry a weapon in the wee hours of the morning.

Lesson 9. Gozo is the best place to commit a crime during the spring hunting season

Who ever said that enforcement was easy was a blatant liar! As expected, there is not enough personnel to monitor all the hunters in Malta. This year, CID (Criminal Investigation Department) officers were temporarily redeployed for monitoring purposes till the end of the hunting season.

Therefore, it stands to reason that Gozo is a prime location for crime during the spring hunting season, since most of the police officers will be monitoring the hunters! Criminals rejoice!

While this is sad news for Gozo, the Gozitans did allow for the Yes vote to win, so lump it I guess.

Lesson 10. Joseph Muscat FINALLY reveals his “Flagrant level of abuse”

Our Prime Minister has kept the entire 49.8% of the voters on tenterhooks for the past two weeks. He said that he would not tolerate ‘flagrant abuse’, but did not provide further information of what abuse he was referring to, driving people absolutely manic with curiosity.

It is a shame that the hunting season was closed yesterday, as UBet was just about to issue odds for punters to guess when and what will cause the spring hunting season to close.

St. Edward’s College students are not well suited for Dodge the Kestrel it seems (Photo credit: TimesofMalta)

Alas, our Prime Minister revealed his flagrant level of abuse. It wasn’t the illegal hunting, the trespassing and the shooting of a Dutch teenager, but it was a game of Dodge the Kestrel (Lesson 3) that went horribly wrong.

If only the hunters did not use St Edward’s College as a case study, but instead focused on the Junior Lyceum in Hamrun; the former schoolchildren are simply way too touchy.

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Till then, I will see you next year for yet another illegal spring hunting season which the government will sanction, and which will probably close again once the level of abuse meets the new ‘level of flagrancy’ set by the Prime Minister for the next season.

Stay tuned for the illegal Autumn bird trapping season coming soon…

DISCLAIMER: as a side note to all non-Maltese readers, the above lessons are shamefully based on true events.

Idiot’s guide to spring hunting in Malta

Three days into this illegal spring hunt and two hunters have shot a protected bird each. They both feigned ignorance, where one said he mistook the protected bird for a non-protected one, and the other thought he could hunt the protected bird he shot in spring.

Mistakes happen to the best of us, and to all of us. So, to make sure that hunters do not make any more of these mistakes, I have devised the following illustrated guide to (illegal) spring hunting in Malta. This Idiot’s guide is well suited to budding young hunters, to older hunters who may not be sure which birds are protected, and to all hunters in general. NB – The title does not allude to hunters being idiots; the title is derived from a series of books of the same name, just in case someone gets a bit touchy.

1) This is a Turtle Dove

Just in case there are any hunters like Shaun Demicoli who have missed the spring hunting referendum, you can only hunt turtle doves and quails in spring. If you have never seen a turtle dove, the following is a turtle dove:

2) This is a Quail

3) Spring is in April, Autumn starts in September

As per the first point, spring is not to be confused with autumn. Just in case you get confused, if the countryside is full of pretty colours, it generally signifies the presence of spring.

(Photo credits: Spring – Chevron, Autumn – maltaweathersite.com)

4) These are not Turtle Doves

It is very easy to confuse turtle doves with other things. Do not be fooled, these seemingly stupid birds are masters at deception. Before you shoot what you think is a turtle dove, explore the following images to avoid criminal charges:

5) These are not Quails

Quails are the ultimate masters of disguise. They can morph into several other animals and objects that may or may not be found in the Maltese countryside. If you you think you are seeing a quail, stop for a second and think it through:

It could a hedgehog (they are protected as well, just in case)

It could be a Hobza Maltija from a Qormi bakery

It could be a puffer fish (these are poisonous, so proceed with care)

This Idiot’s guide to spring hunting should hopefully allow hunters and those interested in hunting in spring to do so within the limits of the law. I would strongly suggest conserving paper and not printing these images.

Happy (illegal) spring hunting!

Next on the flagrant hunting menu – Lapwing with a side of stupid

The second of many forthcoming casualties of this spring hunting season for which you voted for is a lapwing.

(Photo credit: DenisCachia/BirdLife Malta)

So now let us wait for this hunter to be arraigned, found guilty and for him to express his sadness on local media. Let us wait for him to say that he made a mistake, seeing as he thought that this bird was also a turtle dove. Let us also wait for the FKNK and KSU to condone his actions, and for his hunting comrades to call him a miskin and pay for his fine.

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Fun Fact – the Lapwing derives its name from the ‘lapping’ sound it makes when it flutters its wings. This sound is quite similar to the lapping sound hunting dogs make when carrying the carcasses of illegally shot protected birds during the spring hunting season.

Hunters portray Stefan Micallef as a Martyr

As quickly as the Cuckoo swooped over Manikata and was shot and killed by Stefan Micallef, the hunters rallied to the defence of this poacher. It becomes increasingly evident that the hunters and their families themselves do not even understand the implications of killing a protected bird.

Stefan Micallef publicly declared that he mistakenly took the cuckoo for a turtle dove. This may have been the case, as we are all human and we do make mistakes, but his attempted cover up of his supposed mistake makes him equally culpable. This is the same situation as a hit and run accident. If you crash into a car, and it was your mistake, you have to stop and take responsibility for your actions. If you decide to just run and attempt to evade punishment, it makes things even worse.

However, hunters do not think in the same logical way as most people do. In fact, they are collecting donations for Stefan Micallef’s fine, because they feel that he should be compensated for being publicly humiliated and vilified by the public. Additionally, I find comments from Stefan Micallef’s family and friends as being completely irrelevant. While it is quite acceptable to be upset at what happened, they shouldn’t take umbrage at the way people are reacting to this situation.

Stefan Micallef broke the law, mistake or not, so he has to live with that and the ensuing shame. Hopefully, this will deter other hunters who mistakenly or purposely shoot protected birds (#wishfulthinking). However, in a country that has become desensitised at the implications of killing protected birds, what do you really expect? (Uwijja, san l-ghageb kollhu ghal ghasfur wiehed miskin? Mhux kullhadd jizbalja!)

In any case, the hunters should prepare their cheque books – it is going be a long and expensive spring hunting season this year…

Flagrant is the new buzzword this spring hunting season

As expected the spring hunting season will not be closed as promised by the Prime Minister. Instead, he created a new definition of what he believes to be the acceptable level of illegalities that would merit him closing the hunting season – it has to be flagrant.

Stefan Micallef, 43, of Naxxar, the hunter who illegally shot a protected Common Cuckoo. Photo credit: TimesofMalta

Flagrant is the new buzzword. You better memorise it and start putting it in your vocabulary, as we will be hearing a lot of the Yes voters using it in their arguments after more illegal hunting incidents will be reported in the coming days. That is how these people operate after all, they follow the yardstick provided to them as they cannot think critically for themselves.

So what is flagrant abuse?

According to previous governments, and the current one, it has to be systematic killing of numerous protected birds. The PN government closed the 2007 spring hunt after a flock of honey buzzards was massacred, and the current PL government closed the 2014 autumn hunt after a daily spate of illegalities.

Any rational person in Malta (in this case, the individuals who voted NO), knows clearly enough that the killing of protected birds cannot be quantified in numbers. One, two, twelve, fifty or a hundred makes no difference when they are protected, as it is ILLEGAL. The fact that governments in Malta have the audacity to decide what number is acceptable is unbelievable.

I am very sorry for those law abiding hunters, but enough is  enough. This has not happened once, and this rampant poaching will keep on occurring until spring hunting is banned once and for all. The 49.6% of the population, or as I call them the real ‘minority’, are watching you like hawks. You may want to shoot us down, stuff us and add us to your collection, but we will not let this go.

The government may accept the killing of even one protected bird because it is not ‘flagrant’ enough, but we will not. Furthermore, in light of this referendum, a collective punishment is more than justified. You are all certainly capable of follow the law, you just choose to flagrantly not too.