Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/578494
4 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 23 SEPTEMBER 2015 News Hunters: propaganda on birds we kill 'causes unnecessary suffering to birds' MATTHEW VELLA MARK Mifsud Bonnici, president of the St Hubert Hunters' associa- tion (KSU) has taken issued with the use of injured birds by conser- vationists. In a statement, Mifsud Bonnici said using images of the injured birds "for propaganda purposes is deplorable and causes unnecessary suffering to birds already under trauma". BirdLife Malta and CABS (Cam- paign Against Bird Slaughter) of- ten circulate press images of birds found injured as they are being tended to by vets. But KSU has 'condemned' what it termed the "persistent exploita- tion of such birds by Birdlife Malta as a means to sensationalize il- legal hunting. It is undisputable fact, confirmed publicly by the authorities, CABS and independ- ent ornithologists, that the vile persecution of protected birds is well under control and practically eradicated". Mifsud Bonnici said that Maltese law punishes hunters severely for any transgressions. "But the authorities infallibly close an eye when Birdlife activists hold public protests with injured protected birds on the steps of Castille or when group photos of injured birds are presented to the media. The law specifically states no one is allowed to handle or eu- thanise protected birds unless au- thorized to do so. "Over the past years Birdlife uni- laterally and without authoriza- tion euthanized hundreds of birds, most of which could have other- wise been rehabilitated, used for species reintroduction purposes, education or scientific research. In view of the fact that Birdlife Malta purport to be the authority to han- dle or euthanise protected birds KSU call on Birdlife Malta to pub- licly publish such authorisation in order to substantiate their claims". Mifsud Bonnici also said that the KSU considered the "exploitation of protected birds" as an equal of- fence and call on the authorities to apply the law without any favorit- ism. In June 2015, two BirdLife Malta activists walked out of court with their freedom intact after a court found them not guilty of possess- ing protected species. In proceedings instituted on the complaint of the hunter's federa- tion (FKNK), Nicholas Barbara, Fiona Burrows, Caroline Rance and Rupert Masefield had been charged with having been in pos- session of protected birds in Oc- tober 2012, after they published a picture of themselves posing with the illegally shot specimens in Sep- tember last year. But in what many felt to be a farcical inversion of the facts, the conservationists were then charged under a 2006 law intended to stem illegalities by hunters and trappers. Charges against Rance and Masefield were subsequently dropped. The FKNK's lawyer, Kathleen Grima, had insisted that the law makes no distinction between a hunter and a non-hunter when it came to possession of protected birds. But defence lawyer Stephen Tonna Lowell said that a criminal conviction for this offence has two requirements: an illegal act and an intent, which is deduced from the particular circumstances of the case. He pointed out that the charges were for "keeping" pro- tected species and that "posses- sion" and "keeping", were not syn- onymous. "Mere possession, without any criminal intent," said the law- yer, "was not enough to establish guilt… The intent has to be de- duced from the circumstances of the case". Using drug busts as an example, he explained that were the FKNK's arguments to be accepted in such cases, "then everybody should be in the dock, including the police, court registrars, jurors and so on". He described the FKNK's sim- plistic interpretation of the law as "silly, absurd and dangerous," and appealed to the court to apply the law with common sense. Developers show off green cred, warn against 'wasteful' energy price cuts MATTHEW VELLA THE Malta Developers Associa- tion has broken ranks with em- ployers clamouring for further cuts in the price of electricity, saying that savings being made by Enemalta on the plunging price of oil should be hived off for rein- vestment. Both the Chamber of SMEs (GRTU) and the Chamber of Commerce said they want En- emalta's savings on the price of oil to be passed on to businesses in further cuts of up to 30% by GRTU's own measure. Businesses this year were given a 25% cut in energy prices, an elec- toral promise by Labour that fol- lowed on cuts in electricity prices for domestic users in March 2014. The MDA, whose members are often accused of expansion- ary ambitions to gobble up more land, said the lowering of electric- ity bills had contributed in more economic certainty but that En- emalta also had to make good for past debts. But the association, whose presi- dent is Sandro Chetcuti, has how- ever taken a more green approach to the issue. "One has to be careful that the further lowering of these tariffs does not encourage waste of elec- tricity to the detriment of the en- vironment," the MDA said. "In these circumstances, the MDA suggests that part of the profits that Enemalta is making due to the lower oil prices should go to greater spending on clean energy through more incentives to those who buy solar panels and insulate their roofs, and through the introduction of new incen- tives, like to those who build in a more energy efficient way as in the use of double glazing and thermal breaks in their apertures and any products that lessen emissions." The MDA also called out to developers and property owners to "play their part" so that build- ings in Malta are more energy ef- ficient. Saudi Arabia's crude stockpiles rose to a record in July after ex- ports by the world's biggest oil shipper declined for the third time in four months. Brent was at $47.84 on Monday 21 September. Commercial petroleum stock- piles increased to 320 million barrels, the highest since at least 2002, from 319.5 million barrels in June. Brent crude oil prices have slumped 17% this year as Saudi Arabia led the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in boosting production to keep market share amid a global supply glut. The failure of produc- ers to cut output fast enough may require prices to fall near $20 a barrel to clear the surplus, Gold- man Sachs estimated. Nationalist MEP David Casa has however said that the Maltese government was saving up to €300 million from energy supplies. Enemalta plc is today 30% owned by the Chinese government- owned Shanghai Electric Power. Casa enquired about where En- emalta's savings are going if not passed on to the public. "The government is saving €200 mil- lion per year from electricity gen- eration and another €100 million per year from fuel supplies. How is this money being used? Why is it that this money is not being passed on to the consumer?" Casa said that these numbers were a direct result of falling oil prices and challenged energy minster Konrad Mizzi to publish all prices and records and all ener- gy-related contracts. Mark Mifsud Bonnici. Inset: the picture that almost landed members of Birdlife in jail