MHRA stands by its vice-president over hunting

The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association has defended its vice-president, Winston J. Zahra, against what it said was a "totally unfounded and unfair" attack on him by the hunters' federation for his stand on spring hunting. Mr Zahra and several other personalities are featured in a BirdLife campaign calling on Lawrence Gonzi and Alfred Sant to "stop illegal spring hunting". Their stand has drawn sharp criticism from the Federation for Hunting and Conservation. The association said Mr Zahra is a great contributor to the tourism industry in Malta at a national level. It expressed its support for Mr Zahra and stressed that everyone had a right to freely express their views.

It said Malta should abide by the EU's hunting regulations, adding that it was an undeniable fact that irrespective of traditions or of past situations, spring hunting harmed tourism to Malta.

"In the international competitive world we live in, any disincentive to tourism is a loss to the national economy and to each and every one of us."