This is important. I first wrote about this a few weeks ago, but over the last week, Chris Packham has been in Malta with a film crew trying to stop the spring hunting season, which is a huge number of protected migrating birds are shot by hunters on the island. Chris's films are incredible. He has met with people who have spent their life trying to stop the hunting, he has talked to hunters and police, he has confronted hunters and has has even been questioned by police. These were brave films to make.
I found this one of the saddest thing that I have ever seen and I am determined to that the spring hunting should stop. These videos really made me think. Please watch them here, and read on to find out what you can do to help.
So why is what happens in Malta important here? It is because wildlife does not belong to any one country. The ospreys that I enjoy seeing near my house live only part of the year in Scotland before migrating to Africa and they stop at many countries on the way. The same is true of swallows. The geese my ares is famous for winter in Scotland but return to Scandinavia. It is no use one country looking after wildlife if others don't. Malta treats its wildlife terribly, and it affects all of us in Europe.
In 2013 at least 24 species of protected birds were illegally shot including cuckoos, marsh and pallid Harriers, kestrels, ospreys, purple and grey herons, bee-eaters and golden orioles. and the police did nothing about it. That is wrong I want that changed. This has to stop. This is how you can help if you are in the UK. Go here and donate or write a letter to your MEP.
Millions of people like me in the UK enjoy the wildlife around us. Watch the videos, and if you are as shocked as I was, then do what you can to help.
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7 comments :
an eye-opening post Jake. Thank you for bringing attention to plight of migrating birds.
Yes ...is n't it sickening ....What are they teaching their school children out in these places ? Makes me feel SO sad .
It's heartbreaking. :( I wish these issues were more well known in social media. I feel like people who aren't as invested in conservation don't care because it's not just one well known and loved animal being massacred. Every time I see that 'awareness' post about the whale hunting in the Faroes that keeps circulating (I don't know if you've had the pleasure of seeing it but it changes the name of the non-endangered whale species being killed into a made-up species of dolphin to make people sympathise more, and pronounces all species of whale and dolphin endangered..??!), I think- do you care this much about those songbirds and raptors? Also, it's amazing how you never see those people who constantly campaign to be allowed to cull raptors because they are apparently harming songbird populations (or is it pheasant populations they are really worried about?) talking about things that ACTUALLY are harming songbird populations. Good on you and good on Chris Packham for keeping this issue out there. :)
Thanks !
Yes, it really is.
I agree completely !
its not hunting , its poaching.
If they were hunting, they would've ate the birds.
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