Illegal bird killing triple in past four years

Feb 4 2022

BirdLife Malta have revealed that the illegal killing of birds remains high during 2021 as the amounts tripled in the past four years when compared to previous four.

The number of protected birds known to BirdLife Malta that been diagnosed as illegally shot during 2021 stood at 181. The NGO appealed to both parties to stop being ‘spineless’ towards those who break the law and start taking illegal killing and trapping seriously.

The NGO said in a press statement on Friday that this amount is only a small fraction of what really happens since it only represents the injured or dead birds found by the public.

BirdLife Malta said that it is fair to conclude that thousands of other protected birds such as birds of prey, flamingos and herons were illegally shot down and collected by culprits, mainly for taxidermy purposes.’

Presenting the figures, a total of 794 illegally shot protected birds were found by the public during the past eight years. The upward trends stands out with 76% of these being in the last four years.

‘From 2014 to 2017, a total of 190 birds were diagnosed as illegally shot while in the past four years, from 2018 to 2021, this more than triples to 604.’

The NGO also said how in November, a political decision was taken to stop the involvement of BirdLife Malta in such cases related to finch trapping in order not to expose the problem’s severity. ‘The last year proves once again that the Prime Minister, his cabinet and the relevant authorities are not taking the problem of illegal hunting and trapping seriously even after the EC has listed this issue as a concern and initiated legal action against Malta for failing to control the illegal hunting situation, apart from the smokescreen ‘scientific research’ derogation slowing finch trapping.’

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Photo Source: BirdLife Malta FB

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Mixed reactions for South Korea’s nose-only mask for safe eating

Feb 4 2022

South Korea has just released an anti-virus mask that only covers the nose and can thus continue to be worn while eating and drinking. The ‘kosk’, a combination of ‘ko’ (the Korean word for nose) and mask, has been released by a company called Atman and sells for 9,800 won (equivalent to $8.13 or £5.99) for a box of 10.

It consists of two pieces, one of which can be removed to leave the mouth freely uncovered. Meanwhile, three reusable ‘Copper Antivirus Nose Masks’ which only cover the nose are available in different colours for 2,000 won ($1.65/£1.22). The masks are designed to be worn under a regular mask that covers the mouth. The unusual creation has attracted a lot of attention online, not all of it very positive.

진짜로 나와버린 코스크 pic.twitter.com/p58WrYGFLe

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Some studies have been suggesting that the nose is the easiest route for COVID-19 to enter the body however, and so wearing a nose mask may not be as ridiculous as it looks. Some experts are saying that it could make a marginal difference, whilst others compare it to the ‘stupidity’ of wearing masks below the nose. This comes as cases in South Korea hit a record 22,907 on Thursday. The East Asian nation has registered a relatively low 6,812 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic, representing a death rate per million of 113. In comparison, the UK registered a 2,300 death per million.

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Over 360 bullying reports made to police in 2021

Feb 4 2022

A total of 366 of bullying in schools were referred to the authorities in 2021, with the figure announced by President Emeritus Marie Louise Coleiro Preca during a press conference. The conference on justice initiatives in schools follows an incident on January 17th wherein a 12-year-old girl was filmed being attacked savagely by other students.

After the parents shared the video to highlight the problems of bullying and make it publicly known, the school has said it is taking disciplinary action and the police have confirmed that the case is being investigated. The Ex-President was referring to the statistics from the Anti-Bullying Unit which coordinates programmes against the phenomenon in schools and provides training to staff and parents.

Coleiro said that from these numbers we can see that last week’s report of the shocking bullying attack is not an isolated case. ‘There are so many children who face similar situations, some left unidentified, unfortunately’ she said. In 2019, over 500 cases of bullying were referred to the authorities. The pandemic and the ensuing measures in 2020 made it difficult to collect statistics.

However, of last year’s 366 referrals, 130 came from primary schools, with most reported from government schools (134), with only two reports from Church schools and none from independent schools. 123 cases were reported in government middle schools, with another three from Church schools and one from independent schools. 113 cases were from secondary schools, with 97 being from government schools, five from church schools and one from an independent school.

Over 1,200 sessions were held between a professional and a student who suffered from bullying. The conference was organised by the Malta Foundation for the Well-being of society in collaboration with Justice Minister Edward Zammit Lewis and Education Minister Clifton Grima.

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