I am bemused and amazed by Raymond Zammit's rather late attack on me following some things that he appears to have misread in an earlier letter.

Let me first make it very clear that I will never criticise the Maltese government under any circumstances. I do not believe that it is my place to do so.

Having corrected Mr Zammit on that rather important point, let me answer some of the comments he has made by reading into my letter comments that were never there.

I do not recall using the phrase "calling all Maltese landowners activists". I do not believe this, nor have I ever said that. It seems that Mr Zammit has massaged the message to suit his own beliefs.

It is clear from his comments that he is a "hunter". My views on this are well known. They are the opposite to Mark Mifsud Bonnici who has his view and will never change it.

I see no point in corresponding with that gentleman any more and I am only writing this to point out the inaccuracies in Mr Zammit's misguided attack.

I have nothing further to say about the fate of the birds passing through Malta and I am fed up of reading the repeated defences and attacks of the hunting lobby, so I will not give those involved a platform to agitate further.

It has to be said that I am most careful visiting the Maltese countryside at any time of year. It has already been pointed out that the photograph that I took was of a trapper's site rather than a shooting range.

Please forgive the humble tourist for choosing the wrong photo but I must point out that I am not the only tourist to think that it was a shooting site.

I am not sure what motivated Mr Zammit to make these comments after such a long time but, as mentioned elsewhere in The Times, Malta too needs help.

Instead of dragging up old correspondence, perhaps Mr Zammit should direct his efforts to making Malta an even more attractive place for tourism in these difficult times.