The two major political parties should stop sowing doubt over the hunting issue and admit once and for all that hunting in spring is prohibited by EU rules, Alternattiva Demokratika chairman Harry Vassallo said yesterday.
Addressing a news conference, Dr Vassallo said that AD's position had always been clear: it was against spring hunting and never used hunting as a flexible issue that could be played about with during election time.
Environment spokesman Ralph Cassar said spring hunting breached EU directives which aimed to stop birds being killed during breeding seasons.
Moreover, he added, there was also the issue of accessibility to the local countryside.
Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil, who said the spring hunting season would reopen in 2008, seems to be at loggerheads with Environment Minister George Pullicino, who told The Times that there were no guarantees that the season would open.
Mr Cassar said opening the spring hunting season would breach EU directives.
Dr Vassallo said the Maltese should obey EU laws, which they had, after all, opted for in the first place.
He said that while hunters and AD did not have the best of relations, his party had always been honest with them, both with regard to its stand and the future of spring hunting in Malta.
"We are and will remain opposed to hunting in spring but insist on hunters being properly informed about the future of hunting," Dr Vassallo said.
He added that the Labour Party should take a clear stand on hunting, as speaking vaguely about the matter was useless.
"Both hunters and the anti-hunting lobby should know where they stand. At least the MLP should have the decency not to treat the hunting issue as a vote-grabbing exercise."
Referring to the threat by FKNK (Federazzjoni Kaccaturi u Nassaba Konservazzjonisti) to withdraw political neutrality from its statute, Dr Vassallo said neither political party could defy the EU for very long.
"Hunters should stop trying to hold Malta hostage. Labour and PN should stop negotiating the ransom with the FKNK."