Spring hunting: hunters urged to be patient

The hunters' federation said this evening that it hoped the European Court will decide quickly on the interim decision it has been asked to take on whether hunting will be allowed this spring.

Lawyers representing the Maltese government and the European Commission this morning made their final submissions before the European Court, which has been requested by the commission to ban hunting in Malta this spring pending a definitive decision on whether spring hunting should be banned completely.

The hearing, in Luxembourg, was held behind closed doors.

The federation in a statement said it believed that the facts presented to the court were clear to all those who wished to be fair and impartial, and they would also be clear to the court.

"The federation is therefore appealing for some more patience from its thousands of members and all hunters and trappers who are beside themselves owing to the tension which has built up over this case."

"The FKNK also hopes that the court appreciates that up to two years the spring hunting season would have already opened on March 25, and it therefore hopes that the decision by the court will be taken imminently," the federation said

The defence teams were led by Malta's Attorney General Silvio Camilleri and Italian EC official Donatella Recchia.

The Hunters' Federation last week said its lawyers had worked with the government, and Malta had presented the best possible defence in the circumstances.