Spring hunting: Malta has presented best possible defence, hunters say

Maltese and European Commission lawyers are due to make their final submissions on Wednesday before the European Court decides whether to uphold a request by the Commission to ban hunting this spring pending another decision over whether or not spring hunting should be banned outright, the hunters' federation said today.

It explained that after the commission instituted the court case, Malta filed its reply on March 7.

The federation said that while in the past it had had reason to complain about not having been consulted in the EU accession talks regarding hunting, it was able to closely follow the preparations of Malta's defence, and it was of the view that in current circumstances, Malta had presented the best possible defence.

The federation said that following the final submissions in Luxembourg this Wednesday it would await the court's decision on the Maltese government's plea to allow hunting this spring, "as was, after all, agreed with the EU during the accession talks, through a special arrangement which had enabled the government to promise that this tradition would be retained."

The federation said it also expected to discuss the current situation, including the court case, in a meeting with the prime minister in the coming days.

The federation said it was still awaiting a reply to a letter it sent to Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici in which is expressed concern over confrontations which might occur next month when Birdlife Malta will hold a Bird Camp for which foreigners have been invited. These people, the federation said, would be playing as policemen, hunting the hunters and trappers.

The federation has also written to Education Minister Dolores Cristina to complain of what it called discrimination by several teachers against the children of hunters. It also complained of brainwashing against hunting.