Two anti-hunting panels torn down

Efforts by the Ministry of the Environment to regulate hunting at Buskett are being shot down by irresponsible persons who have destroyed two out of six panels put there to indicate the place is a bird sanctuary where hunting is illegal.

The panels include a map of Buskett and its perimeters as well as the telephone number - 2122 4001- on which the public can inform the police of any infringement.

Following the opening of the hunting season for the common wood pigeon and quail on Good Friday, the Ministry of the Environment put up the panels in the three main bird sanctuaries on the island, Buskett, Ghadira and Simar, warning hunters to keep off.

The panel close to the Verdala Palace gate was sawn off and the one near the area known as Clapham Junction was pulled out of the ground where the wooden legs were embedded in concrete.

When contacted a ministry spokesman said this was probably the work of a "few irresponsible hunters who give responsible hunters a bad name. Malta is the only EU member state that has this concession to hunt the common turtle dove and quail at this time of the year. The aim of the Ministry of the Environment is not to abolish hunting but to regulate it".

The sanctuaries are supervised by members of the police administrative law enforcement, the Armed Forces and the Malta Environment and Planning Authority. The panels are sponsored by the Environment Ministry, by Ornis and by Mepa.

The Ornis committee includes representatives from BirdLife Malta and from the federation of hunters and trappers conservationists.