Abolish spring hunting

Spring hunting has been a contentious issue for many years in the Maltese Islands. Throughout the years both the Labour Party and the Nationalist Party have sought to deal with spring hunting through backroom deals with organisations representing the hunting community. Time and again promises to uphold hunters’ privileges have been made by both the Labour Party and the Nationalist Party.

Only one political party in Malta, Alternattiva Demokratika-The Green Party, expressed itself clearly and unequivocally against spring hunting. The others boot-licked their way through imaginary exceptions and ineffective enforcement measures.

The current state of affairs is the direct result of government policies which have repeatedly ignored Malta’s obligations. Unfortunately even the Environment Directorate General of the European Union has proven itself to be ineffective in enforcing the provisions of the Birds’ Directive in Malta. Hence the only practical solution to tackle spring hunting is for the Maltese electorate to decide the matter itself as is provided for in the Referenda Act.

The Coalition for the Abolition of Spring Hunting is composed of Ramblers Association of Malta, Nature Trust (Malta), Movement of Organic Agriculture in Malta (MOAM), Moviment Graffiti , International Animal Rescue Malta, Greenhouse Malta, Gaia Foundation,Friends of the Earth Malta, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar (FAA), Din l-Art Ħelwa,Coalition for Animal Rights, Birdlife Malta and Alternattiva Demokratika. It was formed some eight months ago for one specific purpose: the abolition of spring hunting at the earliest possible date.

Last week, the Coalition submitted a petition to the Electoral Commission calling for an abrogative referendum to end spring hunting on the Maltese islands. The signatures to the petition had to exceed 10% of the registered voters in the latest electoral register, that is 33,418 signatures were required as a minimum.

44,376 persons signed the referendum petition making it the first ever submitted petition requesting an abrogative referendum in the Maltese islands since the Referenda Act was amended in 1996 to introduce the right to call an abrogative referendum.  Those who signed the petition have considered it their duty to respond to the Coalition’s invitation because they care. They care about the birds and they care about Malta. They deserve everybody’s appreciation as their commitment is sending one clear message: that voters can decide on spring hunting and in so doing they will clear the mess created by the parliamentary political parties.

This is an historic moment, very important for the protection of biodiversity but also of paramount significance in the development of democracy in the Maltese islands. It was not easy to achieve and cannot be underestimated.

There are various reasons which have motivated voters to sign the petition calling for a referendum to abolish spring hunting.

Spring is breeding time for birds which fly over the Maltese islands on their way back to mainland Europe. Signatories to the referendum petition believe that birds should be able to fly safely over Malta on the way to their breeding grounds.

During the spring hunting season, when nature is at its best, people do not feel at ease in the Maltese countryside as they consider themselves to be under the constant threat of hunters, few in number but convinced just the same that they have a free hand. Access to the countryside during spring is further hampered by public footpaths which are closed to the public so as to facilitate the free access of hunters. The aggressiveness of some hunters has given all their colleagues a bad name.

Spring is a very special time of year when the Maltese countryside invites all to appreciate its abundance of life and colour. Those who have signed the petition feel that they are being impeded from enjoying nature’s gifts. Furthermore, hunting in spring definitely has a negative impact on birds which breed or can breed in the Maltese islands.

A large number of the signatories of the petition believe that the deals (both secret and the not so secret) that the hunting lobby has signed with successive governments to gain more privileges is not how a modern democracy should function. They believe that governments should work in the common interest. This has not been the case so far and the only solution is the utilisation of the referendum as a decision tool. It is only the referendum which will settle matters once and for all.

These birds flying through our airspace in spring do not belong to us. Other countries dedicate a lot of time and resources to ensure that these birds are adequately protected, only to be blasted when they fly through Malta.

We now await the Electoral Commission to verify the petition signatures and hand over the process to the Constitutional Court. This will enable all of the Maltese voters to finally have their voice heard on spring hunting so it can be stopped on these islands once and for all.

 

published in The Times of Malta, Saturday April 5, 2014

Meta taqbeż iċ-ċinga

Qrajt l-istqarrija oriġinali li l-uffiċjali tal-FKNK qraw waqt il-konferenza stampa li kellhom il-bieraħ. Hemm differenza sostanzjali bejn dak li qalu huma u dak li irrappurtaw il-media.

Il-media kienet prudenti  u ħalliet barra l-attakki vojta u bla sens li l-FKNK għamlet kontra l-Birdlife, il-Fondazzjoni Gaia, Arnold Cassola Chairman ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika u David Camilleri Tal-Bediq kandidat Għawdxi ta’ Alternattiva Demorkatika.

Lill-uffiċjali tal-FKNK  Lino Farrugia u Joe Perici Calascione m’għandi xejn xi ngħid kontra tagħhom personalment. Ilni snin twal nafhom it-tnejn li huma. Il-kritika tiegħi hi kontra l-idejat li qed imexxu l-quddiem. Għandhom kull dritt imexxu l-quddiem l-ideat u l-ideali tal-membri tal-FKNK.  Naf li m’għandhomx bżonn lili biex jgħidilhom dan. Huwa dritt li jiena nirrispetta anke jekk diversi drabi, fil-fehma tiegħi, jesaġeraw kemm f’dak li jgħidu kif ukoll fil-mod kif jgħiduħ.

L-FKNK allura, issa bdiet ħidma fuq l-inizzjattiva tagħha. Triq li l-liġi dwar ir-referendum tkun emendata b’mod li jkunu rispettati dak li huma qed isejħu d-drittijiet tal-minoranzi.  Issa l-liġi dwar ir-referendum diġa tipproteġi dawn id-drittijiet. Fil-fatt id-drittijiet bażiċi tal-bniedem fil-Kostituzzjoni kif ukoll fil-Liġi dwar il-Konvenzjoni Ewropeja dwar id-Drittijiet tal-Bniedem ma jistgħu jintmissu minn l-ebda referendum.  Dwar il-minoranzi, kontra dak li qed jgħidu tal-FKNK, jeżistu konvenzjonijiet u trattati li jiddefinuhom. Fosthom fil-Ġnus Magħquda. Fil-qasam tal-ħarsien tad-drittijiet tal-minoranzi normalment nifhmu minoranzi reliġjużi, minoranzi kulturali jew assoċjati ma’ lingwa minoritarja kif ukoll minoranzi etniċi. Hemm ukoll obbligi li jirriżultaw minn liġijiet lokali u trattati internazzjonali li permezz tagħhom hi imħarsa d-diversita’ : dik dwar orjentazzjoni sesswali, kulur tal-ġilda jew razza.

Il-kaċċa fir-rebbiegħa ma taqa’ taħt l-ebda waħda minn dawn il-kategoriji.

Il-proposta tal-FKNK li biha qed jitolbu lill-Parlament jibdel il-Liġi tar-Referendum biex referendum kontra l-kaċċa fir-rebbiegħa ma jkunx jista’ jsir jirrifletti l-egħruq fondi tal-valuri demokratiċi li jħaddnu l-istess FKNK.  Jidher ċar li qabżitilhom iċ-ċinga. Għax tilfu kull tama li jikkonvinċu jridu jattakkaw il-proċess demokratiku tar-referendum.

Kaċċa fir-Rebbiegħa? Le grazzi !

Tnax-il għaqda ambjentali flimkien ma Alternattiva Demokratika ġimgħat ilu waqqfu l-Koalizzjoni għall-Abolizzjoni tal-Kaċċa fir-Rebbiegħa.  Dan hu kunsens wiesa’ u uniku : l-ewwel darba li f’Malta daqstant organizzazzjonijiet li japprezzaw l-ambjent ingħaqdu flimkien biex imexxu l-quddiem proposta waħda.

Dawn l-organizzazzjonijiet huma : Ramblers Association of Malta,  Nature Trust-Malta,  Moviment Graffiti,  Malta Organic  Agriculture Movement,  International Animal Rescue Malta, Greenhouse Malta, Gaia Foundation, Friends of the Earth Malta, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Din l-Art Ħelwa, Coalition for Animal Rights, BirdLife Malta u Alternattiva Demokratika.

Il-kaċċa fir-rebbiegħa m’hemmx lokha. L-għasafar li fir-rebbiegħa jpassu minn fuq Malta jiġu maqtula fl-iżjed mument li huma vulnerabbli, meta jkunu qed iħejju biex ibejtu biex ikollhom il-friegħ. Hu l-iżjed żmien li jeħtieġu protezzjoni. Din il-protezzjoni għandha tingħata billi l-kaċċa fir-rebbiegħa tieqaf, darba għal dejjem.

La l-Gvern tal-lum u l-anqas il-Gvern tal-bieraħ ma jaqblu ma dan u allura l-unika mod kif miżura ta’ din ix-xorta isseħħ hu billi l-poplu jieħu d-deċiżjoni f’idejh permezz ta’ referendum. Referendum ta’ din ix-xorta jissejjaħ mill-poplu kemm-il darba jkun hemm 10% tal-votanti li isimhom jidher fir-reġistru elettorali (madwar 34,000) li jaqblu li dan isir.

Il-ġbir tal-firem beda u s-issa diġá qabeż l-10,000 firma. Meta n-numru ta’ firem jaqbeż l-34,000 dawn jiġu ppreżentati lill-Kummissjoni Elettorali biex jibda l-proċess ta’ referendum abrogattiv, jiġifieri referendum li jħassar ir-regolamenti li jippermettu l-kaċċa fir-rebbiegħa. Dan għandu jwassal biex nissejħu ħalli nivvutaw dwar jekk naqblux jew le li dawn ir- regolamenti li jippermettu l-kaċċa fir-rebbiegħa jispiċċaw darba għal dejjem.

Jekk fil-votazzjoni li ssir il-maġġoranza taqbel li dawn ir-regolamenti jitħassru, hekk isir. Dak il-ħin stess mingħajr il-ħtieġa li jintervjeni l-Parlament. Għax il-poplu jkun iddeċieda.

Ma dan, hemm min jaqbel u ovvjament hemm ukoll min ma jaqbilx. Għalhekk hemm bżonn li niddeċiedu billi nivvutaw.

Jekk inti li qed taqra dan l-artiklu taqbel ma dan ħu ħsieb li tiffirma l-petizzjoni biex jissejjaħ dan ir-referendum. Tista’ tikkuntattja lil waħda mill-għaqdiet li jissemmew hawn fuq inkella billi tikteb lill-Koalizzjoni għall-Abolizzjoni tal-Kaċċa fir-Rebbiegħa fuq cashmalta2013@gmail.com.

 

Ippubblikat fuq iNews It-Tlieta 8 t’Ottubru 2013

Spring Hunting Referendum (2) collecting the signatures

Not less than 34,000 signatures need to be collected.

The organisations forming part of the Coalition to Abolish Spring Hunting are currently organising their teams to commence the collection of the signatures.

Some have already commenced.

Your help would be appreciated.

Contact Alternattiva Demokratika, Birdlife Malta, Coalition for Animal Rights, Din l-Art Helwa, Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Friends of the Earth Malta, Gaia Foundation, Moviment Graffiti, Greenhouse Malta, Nature Trust (Malta) and the Ramblers Association of Malta. Your help will make a difference.

Spring Hunting Referendum (1) signing the petition

The signature collection is in hand, organised by the organisations forming part of the Coalition, that is to say Alternattiva Demokratika, Birdlife Malta, Coalition for Animal Rights, Din l-Art Helwa, Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Friends of the Earth Malta, Gaia Foundation, Moviment Graffiti, Greenhouse Malta, Nature Trust (Malta) and the Ramblers Association of Malta.

If you have any difficulty in contacting any one of these organisations contact the Coalition on cashmalta2013@gmail.com and you will be put in touch with the appropriate persons.