Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/388498
23 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Even before the fracas that ensued last Sun- day – in which journalists and birdwatchers were assaulted with impunity – the hunting lobby was visibly not in a position to con- trol its unruliest members. It was equally apparent that the government's strategy of raising the maximum penalties for hunting infringement had little or no effect. Despite various warnings (even by hunting associa- tions FKNK and St Hubert's Hunters), this year's autumn migration quickly became a festival of butchery. By def ying such measures and indiscrimi- nately targeting storks, f lamingos, herons, marsh harriers and other protected species, hunters sent off a subliminal message that they refuse to acknowledge any form of authority whatsoever. This pattern of behaviour repeats itself with every hunting season, in spite of all reasonable efforts to keep it in check. Far from a draconian measure, then, the decision to abruptly close the season was the only way to offer a measure of protection to these birds when all other stratagems have failed. Faced with this situation, it speaks volumes that the reaction of some hunt- ers was to stage a violent and inexcusable 'protest', resulting in at least two people suffering injuries. It is patently obvious that these people consider themselves above the law, and will not hesitate to threaten (and deliver) violence whenever attempts are made to discipline them. The fact that their representatives at institutional level have expressed sympathy and comprehen- sion towards this sector is nothing short of disgraceful. Such attitudes can only make extreme measures inevitable. It is precisely this repeated failure to evolve beyond brutish thuggery that has led to an unprecedented common front by the aforementioned newspapers. Not without good reason: on more than one occasion, journalists have been singled out for vicious attacks. The 2007 protest in Valletta, in which two journalists were injured, cost us dearly even in terms of our international reputation. Malta slipped down the press freedom table in the World Transparency Index as a direct consequence. Another reason concerns the politi- cal clout wielded by the hunting lobby in Malta. For too long now successive govern- ments have been enthralled to a lobby which seeks only to circumvent interna- tional legislation. The issue transcends party politics: both Nationalist and Labour parties have wooed the same sector with unfeasible and generally undesirable prom- ises. It is precisely this attitude by the political class that has resulted in a disproportion- ate sense of empowerment among the most lawless of the hunting community. A cur- sory glance at the messages on billboards during the many pro-hunting protests will reveal that the primary weapon in the hunt- ers' arsenal is their vote. The only conclu- sion is that, left to their own devices, the political parties are incapable of legislating in a way that offers adequate protection to migratory birdlife, or even to citizens who are sometimes victims of the hunters' excesses. We see examples of this inability all the time: the present government's recent (and unwise) decision to weaken the Adminis- trative Law Enforcement sector through transfers is a typical example. Earlier Nationalist administrations had relaxed hunting laws and enforcement, too. This is unacceptable, in a country which is mani- festly incapable of guaranteeing the rule of law even with a strong ALE complement in place. Most worryingly of all, there are in- dications that the present government may continue with an unsound policy of favouring hunters in future, at the expense of even the most fundamental aspects of democracy. A petition of more than 40,000 authenticated signatures has been received for an abrogative referendum on spring hunting – the most contentious aspect of the hunting scenario – and to date there is no reliable indication that the petition will be respected. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has already sent signals that he may be considering a direct plea by the hunters for a standalone referendum, by proposing a deferral of next March's local council elections until 2019. Whether or not this is the motive, we have not to date been given any clear roadmap as to how this referendum – which is man- dated by the Constitution – will be held. This uncertainty is worrying, in the context of a political milieu which has so far always tended to accommodate the hunters in everything. For these and other reasons, MaltaToday, The Times and The Malta Independent have converged on a demand for a clear timetable leading to a free and fair refer- endum. Only this will give the electorate a chance to take decisions that neither party has so far had the courage to take on its own. maltatoday, SUNDAY, 28 SEPTEMBER 2014 Editorial MaltaToday, MediaToday Co. Ltd, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 MANAGING DIRECTOR: ROGER DE GIORGIO MANAGING EDITOR: SAVIOUR BALZAN Tel: (356) 21 382741-3, 21 382745-6 • Fax: (356) 21 385075 Website: www.maltatoday.com.mt E-mail: newsroom@mediatoday.com.mt Quote of the week "As a leader who every night receives phone-calls from the armed forces over boats carrying hundreds of lives at risk of drowning, I feel this is a consequence of the lack of action of the international community. " Prime Minister Joseph Muscat addresses a high-level meeting on Libya at the United Nations, New York Hunting is no longer just about birds