correction - A sad story

[Guest guest]

Hi:

 

Thanks for your support, apparently hundreds of emails have

been sent from you to the OPM or the Office of the Prime Minister.

I have asked for the proper email address of the OPM but did not

hear from Dr H Agius Muscat. So I believe that the email

address of the OPM is correct.

 

So for those of you who have not yet emailed please do so, your

word is being heard.-----------david

---

  " CIMU at OPM " <cimu Save Address - Block

Subject:  Messages sent to the CIMU

Date:  16 May 2001 13:26:00 +0100

 

Please refer to the e-mail quoted below.  This appears to have

originated from your mailbox.

 

I draw your attention to the fact that the e-mail address

" cimu " does not belong to the Prime Minister's

Secretariat.  The work of this Unit is being hindered by this

mistake.  You are advised to take corrective action.

 

Dr H Agius Muscat

a/Chief Information Management Officer

Central Information Management Unit

--------------------------

The Malta Times,   09.May.2001 Author: A. Couto, Paris, France.

A sad story

 

It was 6.20 a.m. on April 4. I was sipping my coffee watching a

magnificent scene from the terrace. Not more than 100 metres

towards the valley from Melliha Road in Malta I could count 20

night herons alighting among a cluster of carob trees.

 

Before I had time to fetch my binoculars the morning stillness

was shattered with a barrage of gunfire. Most of the 20 were

killed without moving in the tree.

 

The night heron is exceptional from other birds in that when

there is a flock the survivors keep circling round their fallen

comrades. So the killing went on for the next two or three

minutes with only one remaining, and it flew away to tell the sad

tale.

 

Two young men, probably from the village, picked up the 19

shattered bodies and made a hasty retreat from an area where

shooting is not allowed. They will be hailed as heroes. Some do

not know any better.

 

Something needs to be done by the ones who know: the

politicians.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Thanks for all the continuing support and the continuous stream

of new members for 'PROACT MALTA' (now over 140 signatures)

and the 'PROACT TEAM' (78 permanent members).  The proact

protest campaign against the biannual bird slaughter in Malta.

Please now go to < http://proaction.tripod.com/malta/ >

 

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. These hunters have eradicated

local bird populations and are significantly depleting regional

bird populations.

 

Therefore we are asking you to support the safeguard of the

millions of migratory birds of Europe and Africa, by e-mailing this

message to as many people as you can, environmental

associations and mailing-lists. Let's make ourselves heard, so

as to counter the blatant arrogance of the minority party of

hunters, who seem to be holding our politicians in their power.

Let's support the cause of nature conservation and sustainable

development!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The message (to be completed with your name and hometown)

is to be e-mailed to: cimu

 

                       The Prime Minister of Malta

                       Dr. Eddie Fenech Adami

                       Office of the Prime Minister

                       Auberge de Castille

                       Valetta CMR 02

                       Malta

 

Dear Prime Minister Adami,

 

Your New Year's speech to the Diplomatic Corps in Malta this

year contained little substantial in the context of the natural

environment on your islands.

 

You were however critical of international failings in this field,

one cause of disappointment being the failure of the November

Climate Conference in the Hague to reach a successful

conclusion.

 

In your address you did however state that " ..with increasing

globalisation it becomes less possible to opt out of critical areas

of collective responsibility " and " the safeguarding of the global

environment for present and future generations is certainly one

such area. "

 

Whilst your concern for global environmental issues is

praiseworthy, Malta's record on its own islands is very below par.

The year 2000 annual report by the EU Delegation on progress

to membership states:

 

" 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 a reservation

and exception 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. "

 

Thanks to better and swifter means of communication,

particularly the internet, the biannual slaughter of migratory birds,

as well as the trapping and caging of naturally free species,

reaches a wide audience. To most of us this is an affront and a

depletion of our joint European natural resources; and not just

an internal matter for Malta alone. The ideals of " collective

responsibility " and " safeguarding of our environment for future

generations " rings rather hollow in this context.

 

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 behaviour 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 birdwatchers and environmentalists will travel to Malta

during the migration season. Perhaps the presence of foreign

environmentalists will have a salutary effect on the illegal

hunters; provided the authorities ensure that no danger to life or

limb ensues.

 

Dear Mr. Adami, we appeal to you to use the authority of your

office to influence those in executive positions to stamp out

practices which have no place in a modern, environmentally

aware, society. We will monitor the situation closely and will

hope for great and swift improvements in this important

'benchmark' aspect of your government policy.

 

I remain,

 

Yours sincerely,

 

please sign here

(to be completed with your name and hometown)

 

 

                       Email: cimu