CORRECTED:-Help Save Malta's Birds-Pls Write

[Guest guest]

CORRECTED VERSION:- Many have pointed out some grammar and spelling

mistakes of the previous letter, thank you all for your support and

comments.

 

Dear Animal lovers:

 

Malta is a country composed of three small islands in the middle of the

Mediterranean, 100 kilometers south of Sicily.

 

Malta has one of the world's highest number of hunters per capita, who shoot

and kill any bird that flies. The skies over Malta and the surrounding sea

are devoid of birds. Each year, more than 3 million birds are shot or

trapped on Malta while migrating between Africa and Europe in the spring and

autumn, leading to a gradual decline of these beloved European birds that

traditionally seek refuge in Malta.

 

For more information, photos and video go to <

http://www.MaltaTouristAction.org >

 

Please send the sample letter below to the President of Malta Prof. Guido de

Marco or if you wish, compose one for yourself.

 

SAMPLE LETTER: Remember to add your name, address & country and

forward widely. Postage is the same as regular air mail to Europe.

===============================================================

 

Prof. Guido de Marco

Office of the President

The Palace

Valetta CMR 02

Malta

 

RE: International Community Perceptions of Malta and My Decision Whether

to Invest in Travel to Your Country

 

Dear President de Marco:

 

While appreciating your country's strong commitment to protecting Malta's

natural heritage, it is clear  that the efforts made by the administration

and the executive organs are still half-hearted. Many of the uncivilized

excesses carried out in the name of hunting are either tolerated, or a blind

eye is turned by the responsible authorities. It is also clear that, as in

other countries, conservation of natural resources requires a concurrent

commitment to raising public awareness and effectively training and

equipping

the police and other agencies to enforce the law.

 

Before your appointment as President in April 1999, you held a number of

influential positions within the Maltese Government including that of

Minister for Foreign Affairs. One of your first acts in this capacity was

to submit Malta's application for membership of the European

Community in Brussels on July 16th, 1990. On the 11th September 1999 you

presented Malta's request for the reactivation of its application for

membership to the President of the European Union.

 

Sadly Malta still lags well behind European targets in the environmental

field.

In its last regular report the EU Delegation to Malta wrote: " Since the last

regular report, Malta has made very little progress in the area of

environment. "

 

No legislative progress can be reported concerning nature protection. Malta

is

a party to the Bern Convention but has stated exceptions under the

convention

in relation to the hunting season. With regard to nature protection, most of

the

Community legislation has to be transposed, in particular the wild birds and

the habitat directives.

 

It is also obvious to tourists, and increasingly to TV viewers and newspaper

readers in the rest of Europe and elsewhere, that the biannual slaughter of

migratory birds, as well as the trapping and caging of naturally free

species, is an affront and a depletion of our joint European natural

resources; and not just an internal matter for Malta alone.

 

Apart from the obvious long-term environmental consequences and losses for

Malta and the rest of Europe, the Government and people of Malta should

seriously consider the effect of the negative image projected by the

barbaric behavior of a minority and the economic and representation

penalties that will inevitably follow. In the increasingly popular - and

lucrative - field of Ecotourism Malta has acquired a bad name; and the

inevitable sanctions will be self-imposed. Until a responsible environmental

policy is implemented we will also discourage anyone in our domestic or

business circle from planning a holiday in Malta.

 

On the other hand we hope that active bird watchers and environmentalists

will travel to Malta during the migration season. Perhaps the presence of

foreign environmentalists will have a positive effect on the illegal

hunters;

provided the authorities ensure that no one's life is endangered.

 

Mr. President, we appeal to you to use the authority of your office to

influence those in executive positions to put an end to practices which have

no place in a modern, environmentally aware, society. This will involve the

introduction of laws and regulations currently in force in the European

Union; and provision of the means to publicize and enforce them. I do not

intend to travel to Malta until I hear you are positively enforcing the

conservation of all birds and wildlife on the island.

 

Sincerely,

 

Your name and address here.

 

 

 

 

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