The end of permitted spring hunting in the country last Friday has rekindled the memory of an ugly bird-shooting incident over a school six years ago that was turned into a positive teaching moment.

When a shot bird of prey, a kestrel, plummeted onto the playground of St Edward’s College in Vittoriosa at the end of April 2015, it was something of a shock to the pupils playing there during their break.

Amid other illegalities, that incident may have prompted the prime minister at the time to call an early end to the hunting season. 

It did not do much, however, to quell shots being fired above the school premises in subsequent seasons.

Last year, the lead pellets raining down on the children’s playground got bad enough for the principal, Nollaig Mac an Bhaird, to call on the authorities for support.

While the authorities responded quickly, it was a chat with the hunters themselves that eventually led to change.

“We believe in dialogue and engaging in conversation,” he said.

We are always looking for learning moments

“So one morning we decided to go down there and along with one of our guys I appealed to these hunters as brothers, or possibly fathers of small children, to shoot away from the bastions.

“We continued heading down there for three days to talk to each of them, since they would come at different times, and then it stopped,” Mac an Bhaird added.

This season, the amount of shooting over the school was drastically reduced, he noted, further proof that their direct appeal to individual hunters had worked.

“If you enter into a dialogue with people, explain and reason with them and give them the rationale for what you’re doing, you’ll find many times they will react, and the hunters we spoke to did, so fair play to them,” he told Times of Malta.

While recalling the sadness of seeing the beautiful bird being shot six years ago, Mac an Bhaird said it had provided an opportunity to start a dialogue with the students as well.

“In the school we are always looking for learning moments,” he said.

“A beautiful bird was shot, but it gave start to a conversation with the boys about migratory flight paths and then social responsibility, and then about the challenges of sharing and living in this space together.”

De La Salle College, situated down the road, said the situation had improved for them too this year.

In fact, the school said it had no incidents with lead pellets falling over its grounds.