BBC presenter on the warpath over hunting

British TV personality Chris Packham has spoken of the “widespread disbelief and horror” in the UK over Malta’s spring hunting season. Nature-lovers were becoming increasingly angry at the situation and perceptions of the island were suffering, he told The Times by telephone from France. “This is a constant cause of conflict and I’m surprised the Maltese Government does not want to alleviate this conflict as it could have serious repercussions for the Maltese economy.” Malta is the only country in the EU to derogate from the Birds Directive to allow the hunting of migratory turtle dove and quail this spring. The European Court of Justice ruled in 2009 that the island had failed to meet the requirements of the Birds Directive when it opened spring hunting seasons from 2004 to 2007. However, since 2010, Malta continued to apply spring hunting derogations with “strict conditions”, arguing that the ECJ had acknowledged the autumn season did not provide a satisfactory alternative. But for Mr Packham, the issue is clear-cut: “Malta is getting the benefits of the EU without sticking to the rules. “Shooting adult birds in spring, which won’t have the opportunity to breed, is really not...