http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/offbeat-news/the-microstate-environmental-world-cup-malta-vs-san-marino/613 for environmentalists who don't take themselves too seriously Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:34:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/offbeat-news/the-microstate-environmental-world-cup-malta-vs-san-marino/613/comment-page-1#comment-170101 Mikan Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:41:11 +0000 http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/?p=613#comment-170101 Shooting an endangered raptor is a grave and ignorant offence anywhere it is committed. However, your phrase, "shooting migrating birds is a popular pastime in Malta apparently", and having that be part of the reason that you choose San Marino over Malta makes it sound as if you see a basic problem with humans shooting migratory birds and neglects a few facts and ideas. First, there are many species of legally hunted and commonly eaten migratory birds (ducks,geese,doves,and others). Raptors are not considered legal to hunt nor edible. In my country, The United States, endangered/threatened bird species are not hunted because there is a high awareness by hunters of legally huntable and nonhuntable species. A common penalty for violating hunting laws is prisontime, which is a good deterrant here. Also, the words "hunt" and "hunting" do not apply to illegal "poaching" of protected species. The two words are not synonymous. Hunting is legal. Poaching is illegal. Also, from an environmental standpoint, hunting is beneficial to native species. Millions of acres of wildlife habitat have been preserved by hunters in good hunting areas (especially good migratory bird habitat). Millions of these acres of wildlife habitat would have been developed by now if it werent for preservation by hunters. Protected and huntable species benefit from the protection of these lands by hunters. In my country, studies are done on the population fluctuations of huntable species from area to area, so that local extirpations cannot occur. Also, legal, sustainable, abundant, and renewable wild meat (bird and mammal), not to mention fish and molluscs, provide millions of pounds of organic, local, and nutritious food to people in countries where hunting is still legal, including mine. Protection of endangered/threataned species requires education and punishment as deterrants. The person or people on Malta who shot the endangered eagle should, in my opinion, be locked up for a minimum of 5 years, preferrably longer so that an example can be made of them. And there needs to be an education campaign on legal/protected species so that ignorance of the law and species identification cannot be considered to be an excuse. Long live the various species. Shooting an endangered raptor is a grave and ignorant offence anywhere it is committed. However, your phrase, “shooting migrating birds is a popular pastime in Malta apparently”, and having that be part of the reason that you choose San Marino over Malta makes it sound as if you see a basic problem with humans shooting migratory birds and neglects a few facts and ideas. First, there are many species of legally hunted and commonly eaten migratory birds (ducks,geese,doves,and others). Raptors are not considered legal to hunt nor edible. In my country, The United States, endangered/threatened bird species are not hunted because there is a high awareness by hunters of legally huntable and nonhuntable species. A common penalty for violating hunting laws is prisontime, which is a good deterrant here. Also, the words “hunt” and “hunting” do not apply to illegal “poaching” of protected species. The two words are not synonymous. Hunting is legal. Poaching is illegal. Also, from an environmental standpoint, hunting is beneficial to native species. Millions of acres of wildlife habitat have been preserved by hunters in good hunting areas (especially good migratory bird habitat). Millions of these acres of wildlife habitat would have been developed by now if it werent for preservation by hunters. Protected and huntable species benefit from the protection of these lands by hunters. In my country, studies are done on the population fluctuations of huntable species from area to area, so that local extirpations cannot occur. Also, legal, sustainable, abundant, and renewable wild meat (bird and mammal), not to mention fish and molluscs, provide millions of pounds of organic, local, and nutritious food to people in countries where hunting is still legal, including mine. Protection of endangered/threataned species requires education and punishment as deterrants. The person or people on Malta who shot the endangered eagle should, in my opinion, be locked up for a minimum of 5 years, preferrably longer so that an example can be made of them. And there needs to be an education campaign on legal/protected species so that ignorance of the law and species identification cannot be considered to be an excuse. Long live the various species.

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