Chris Packham's week on Malta had an impact. Through his video diary (here) and social media, he has brought the massacre of migrants on Malta into the homes of thousands of people and helped Birdlife Malta raise the funds they need to campaign for the proposed referendum to end spring hunting. I am convinced that it will have given a huge boost to the Birdlife staff and volunteers some of whom have been campaigning on this issues for decades.
I think that Chris has also done something more profound: he has tapped into people's innate distaste for the needless, excessive and illegal slaughter of wild animals. Some have argued that it was odd for Chris to travel to Malta to complain about illegal hunting when illegal killing of birds of prey continues throughout the UK - the recent poisoning of 16 red kites and 6 buzzards in Ross-shire being the latest most egregious example.
But, of course, many of the birds being killed in Malta are potentially 'our' birds returning to breed in the UK. Chris was showing solidarity to the majority of Maltese people that wants to see an end to spring hunting and I have no doubt that when Chris returns he will continue to do what he can to put a spotlight on illegal killing here in the UK.
But, the scale and extent of illegal killing of migrants throughout the Mediterranean needs much greater scrutiny. And, in the run up to the European elections when people may be wondering why cross-border cooperation is necessary or desirable, the state of our migrant birds provide a timely reminder. Take turtle dove - down by 74% across Europe and, as the Bird Atlas maps show below, down 94% in my lifetime in the UK (and 77% in the last decade). The population is plummeting at such a rate that I have a real fear that when my children are my age, they will be unable to hear the song of the turtle dove in British summer.
When Chris wrote his 'one big thing for nature' blog for me last year (here), he urged us to elect politicians that cared about the natural world and saw nature conservation as part of their personal manifesto.
Well, with the European Elections just weeks away, you now have the chance to make your voice heard and vote count.
When that prospective MEP comes calling, ask them what they are going to do to cooperate across Europe to save wildlife, especially those migrants that are massacred on migration. And, if they get elected, check if they do anything about it. And keep checking, writing, pestering if you need to.
This week, I am going to keep the spotlight on migrants and especially turtle dove. I shall say more about the scale and extent of hunting across the Mediterranean, but also say what the RSPB is doing in partnership with others here in the UK and throughout its flyway.
Look again at these turtle dove distribution maps, and you'll see why we need politicians to take urgent action.
Map reproduced from Bird Atlas 2007–11, which is a joint project between BTO, BirdWatch Ireland and the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club, with permission from the British Trust for Ornithology.
You are right, Bob. The voting system does make it difficult. But post election,you can certainly have an impact on their mail-bag.
We're hosting a NGO hustings event tomorrow in London and we'll be doing what we can to get the parties to take note on this and other environmental concerns.
'When that prospective MEP comes calling'
Martin, This is one area I find difficult in this election. As we use the D'Hondt system of electing MEPS you cant vote for an individual only a party. I don't think I have ever met a prospective MEP, which is why I think that NGOs like the RSPB have such a big role to play in lobbying.