Sentinels or canaries?

I wish to thank Nyal Xuereb for pointing out my error in his letter of October 29 in that quail and turtledove are not the only species that hunters in Malta are allowed to shoot. If migratory birds, and now not only water fowl, are a proven vector for the geographical spread of avian flu, the fact that 32 species of birds can be hunted - in addition to those species being shot at illegally - increases even further the chances of hunters exposing themselves to potential feathered carriers of the virus.

Were wild birds carrying the disease ever to reach our shores, more than "sentinels" the hunters could well end up becoming the first casualties. In addition, by exposing themselves to this potential danger through the handling of birds, they would also be putting at risk their families and the rest of the community. With 15,000 registered hunters in Malta this is not something to be taken lightly.

Ironically, the heroic "hunter-turned-sentinel" concept, promoted by Mr Xuereb, is a sad reminder of those poor sacrificial canaries used in 19th century coal mines, where the death of the canary would herald the presence of noxious and inflammable gases - hopefully in time to allow the evacuation of the coal mine.