Spring Hunting Referendum -- Ir-Referendum fuq il-Kaċċa fir-Rebbiegħa

Spring Hunting Referendum

 

This year, April will bring a historic referendum in Malta on hunting in spring, where the Maltese will be asked whether they want this tradition to continue.1  This period is important for Malta as during this time, may birds would be migrating from winter in Africa back to summer in Europe to beget the next generation, using Malta to stopover and rest.

 

Currently, hunting is lawfully permitted in this period due to a Derogation on the EU Birds Directive, which the Maltese Government had negotiated prior to accession to the European Union.  This Derogation, when applied, permits the hunting of turtle doves and quail for a limited time in spring.  With this referendum, the government will find out whether people want this derogation to continue to be requested (to enable spring hunting to continue) or not (which will end it).

 

Those against the derogation, say that it is abused with the hunting of many more species of birds, and that the only solution is for the practice to be abolished.2  Those in favour of the derogation argue that abuses need to be controlled, and shouldn't reflect upon the majority of law-abiding hunters, who are enjoying a tradition that should be maintained.3

 

It's good that traditions are maintained, as these help to preserve the culture of a nation, as distinct from another nation, and leads to a sense of identity.  However it also needs to be said that traditions should be evaluated with time, in the light of a better understanding of any negative impacts these might have.

 

For example, in some societies including Malta, it was common for marriages to be arranged by parents or a match maker.  Today we can say that this tradition has practically disappeared in Malta, as parents are realising that their children should have the right to choose their future partners themselves.

 

Another example, by the grace of God not found in Malta, is female genital mutilation, where at least part of the female genitalia is cut off, usually when the girl is still young, as a control measure over their sexuality.  This happens as a tradition in parts of Africa and Asia.  This barbaric tradition, which causes much pain and suffering for the women on whom undertaken, is slowly being discontinued, as people are becoming aware that women also should have the right to enjoy their own sexuality.

 

On the topic of hunting, one has to keep in mind that the killing of animals has the primary function  of providing humans with food, whether carried out by shotgun or otherwise.  With time, the activity also developed into a sport, naturally not only in Malta.

 

It's well known today that shooting does not always lead to the death of birds, who may end up only wounded and may continue living in great pain, for a short or long time.  This is distinct from the killing of birds kept for human consumption, as is the case with chickens, where their slaughter may be carried out in a controlled 'humane' manner, causing the animal the minimum of suffering.

 

Killing of animals for food is the only motivation I find ethically acceptable, based on the majority of humans being omnivores, and this only when their suffering is minimised.

 

Beyond this exception, I find the killing of birds (and any other animal) as a sport to be unacceptable, whether called a pastime or passion.  Apart from the suffering of birds shot and not killed straight away, I feel that killing of birds as a sport is egoistic, as when a bird is shot as a pastime, this is being enjoyed only by the shooter, whereas when a bird is being enjoyed by observers that do it no harm, the bird can continue to be enjoyed by others and live to bear its chicks.

 

For this reason, if I were eligible to vote in the spring hunting referendum, I would be voting NO.  What about you?

 

 

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Ir-Referendum fuq il-Kaċċa fir-Rebbiegħa

 

F'April ta' din is-sena se jsir referendum storiku f'Malta dwar il-kaċċa fir-rebbiegħa, fejn il-poplu Malti qed jiġi mistoqsi jekk iridx li din it-tradizzjoni titkompla.1  F'Malta dan il-perjodu huwa importanti għaliex f'dan iż-żmien tas-sena, ħafna għasafar ikunu qed ipassu minn xitwa fl-Afrika lura għas-sajf fl-Ewropa sabiex inisslu ġenerazzjoni ġdida, u jużaw lil Malta bħala post tas-serħan.  

 

Bħalissa, il-kaċċa hija permessa f'dan il-perjodu skont il-liġi għax hemm Deroga tal-UE fuq id-Direttiva fuq l-Għasafar tal-UE, li kien innegozja il-Gvern Malti qabel ma l-pajjiż issieħeb fl-Unjoni Ewropeja.  Din id-Deroga, meta applikata, tippermetti l-kaċċa tal-gamiem u s-summien f'perjodu limitat fir-rebbiegħa. B'dan ir-referendum, il-gvern se jsir jaf jekk il-poplu jridx li din id-deroga tkomplix tintalab (u għalhekk il-kaċċa fir-rebbiegħa tkompli) jew le (u għalhekk tispiċċa).

 

Min jopponi din id-Deroga, jgħid li din tiġi abbużata bil-kaċċa ta' ħafna aktar speċi ta' għasafar, u li l-unika soluzzjoni hi li din il-prattika tiġi abolita.2  Min hu favur id-deroga, jgħid li l-abbużi għandhom jiġu kkontrollati, u m'għandhomx jirriflettux fuq il-maġġoranza ta' kaċċaturi li jobdu l-liġi, li qed igawdu minn tradizzjoni li għandha tiġi miżmuma.3

 

Huwa tajjeb li t-tradizzjonijiet jinżammu, għax dawn jgħinu biex jippreservaw il-kultura ta' poplu li jiddistingwi ruħu minn poplu ieħor, u jwassal għal sens ta' identità.  Biss irid jingħad ukoll li t-tradizzjonijiet għandhom jiġu evalwati maż-żminijiet fid-dawl ta' għarfien aħjar dwar xi impatt negattiv li jista' jkun hemm.

 

Biex nagħti eżempju, kien komuni f'ċertu soċjetajiet, inkluża dik Maltija, li ż-żwiġijiet ikunu irranġati mill-ġenituri jew minn xi ħuttab.  Illum nistgħu ngħidu li din it-tradizzjoni prattikament inqatgħet għalkollox f'Malta, għax il-ġenituri qed jirrealizzaw li wliedhom għandu jkollhom id-dritt li jagħżlu huma s-sieħeb jew sieħba tagħhom.  

 

Eżempju ieħor, għall-grazzja t'Alla mhux misjub f'Malta, huwa l-mutilazzjoni ġenitali femminili, fejn mill-inqas parti mill-ġenitalja tan-nisa tkunu maqtugħa barra, ġeneralment meta jkunu għadhom tfal, bħala kontroll fuq is-sesswalità tagħhom.  Dan iseħħ bħala tradizzjoni f'partijiet mill-Afrika u l-Ażja.  Din it-tradizzjoni barbarika, li tikkawża wġigħ u tbatija kbira fin-nisa milquta, bil-mod il-mod qed tinqata, għax qed tiżdied l-għarfien li n-nisa wkoll għandu jkollhom id-dritt igawdu s-sesswalità tagħhom.

 

Fuq il-kwistjoni tal-kaċċa, wieħed irid iżomm quddiem għajnejh li l-qtil tal-annimali għandu primarjament il-funzjoni li jipprovdi lill-bniedem bl-ikel, bis-snieter jew mingħajrhom. Maż-żmien, żviluppa wkoll bħala sport, u naturalment mhux f'Malta biss.

 

Illum huwa magħruf li l-kaċċa bis-snieter mhux dejjem twassal għall-qtil tal-għasfur, li jista' jispiċċa ferut biss, u jista' jibqa' jgħix fi tbatija kbira, għal żmien qasir jew twil.  Dan huwa differenti mill-qtil ta' għasafar miżmuma għall-ikel, bħal ngħidu aħna t-tiġieġ, fejn il-qtil jista' jsir b'mod ikkontrollat, b'mod 'uman' u li jikkawża l-inqas tbatija lill-annimal.

 

Il-qtil tal-annimali għall-ikel huwa l-uniku motivazzjoni etikament aċċettabbli għalija, abbażi li l-biċċa l-kbira tal-bnedmin huma omnivori, u dan biss fejn it-tbatija tal-annimali tiġi mminimizzata.

 

Lil hinn minn din l-eċċezzjoni, il-qtil tal-għasafar (u kwalunkwe annimal ieħor) bħala sport għalija mhuwiex ġustifikabbli, la jekk imsejjaħ delizzju u lanqas namra.  Apparti t-tbatija għal dawk l-għasafar li jintlaqtu fil-kaċċa b'xi tir u ma jinqatlux mallewwel, inqis li l-qtil ta' għasfur bħala sport fiha egoiżmu, għax meta għasfur jinqatel bħala delizzju, dan qed jitgawda mill-kaċċatur biss, mentri meta l-għasfur qed jitgawda minn osservaturi li ma jagħmlulux ħsara, dan jista' jkompli jitgawda minn oħrajn, u jkompli jgħix biex inissel il-frieħ.

 

Għalhekk, kieku kont eliġibbli biex nivvota fir-referendum fuq il-kaċċa fir-rebbiegħa, kont nivvota LE.  U int?

 

 

1http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150112/local/referendum-question.551635, retrieved 23/2/2015

2http://www.birdlifemalta.org/Content/hunting/springhunting/995/#.VOprxzVZ6PQ, retrieved 23/2/2015

3http://www.huntinginmalta.org.mt/index.pl/traditional_hunting_practices, retrieved 23/2/2015