Hunting found to be harming tourism

A total of 80,000 tourists a year claim that hunting and trapping has had a "major or important negative impact" on them during their visit to Malta, a survey commissioned by the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association has shown.

Hunting and trapping was "noticed or experienced" by 34 per cent of all tourists, or 391,000 visitors in a typical year. One in five of these says it had a negative impact.

The findings were drawn from a comprehensive environmental survey carried out among 1,700 tourists who departed Malta between March and August this year.

Of all the issues identified in the survey, hunting and trapping generated the strongest feelings among respondents.

The survey found that from a seasonal perspective, practically all the negative comments originated during the hunting open season.

MHRA president Winston Zahra said that potentially over 1,400 jobs could be at risk if the 80,000 tourists who highlighted the problem failed to come back or were not recovered.

One must also keep in mind that replacing tourists was far more expensive than bringing in repeat clients, Mr Zahra said. He said they had also to consider the damage on the sector once these tourists relayed their experiences to their families and friends back home.

Considering that seven per cent of all visitors to Malta have commented about hunting and trapping, it was important to reassess the position on these local activities, Mr Zahra said.

He said awareness of hunting could actually have increased as a result of the MTA's countryside walks introduced last November, and which were becoming increasingly popular.

"It is an unfortunate reality that an excellent initiative taken by the MTA to introduce country walks somewhat backfired due to the negative responses about hunting and trapping received from people who go on these walks."

BirdLife Malta president Joseph Mangion said the survey confirmed the detrimental effect that hunting had on the tourism sector.

Hunters and trappers, he said, were doing wonders to dent the tourism authorities' efforts to increase tourist numbers during the shoulder months.

"Hunting is meant to be permitted only on a limited number of species during spring, but they are out there shooting at anything," he lamented.

Malta's notorious trigger-happy reputation was even affecting attendances of foreign observers during BirdLife's International Raptor Camp, Mr Mangion pointed out.

Though the Mediterranean is known as a black spot for hunting, areas like the south of France, Greece, Cyprus and the straits of Messina had managed to control hunting. Malta had, however, failed to do so.

"The choice is ultimately ours. We are either going to allow hunters to do as they please, or else control hunting and in the process attract tourists and create more jobs in the industry," Mr Mangion said.

The MHRA survey showed that 160,000 tourists a year were critical of the environment, with 84 per cent of those questioned saying Maltese roads were in a 'bad' or 'very bad' state, while 30 per cent believed the level of cleanliness left much to be desired.